Sailor Moon: A Call to Arms Part Two: Lines In the Sand
by Gray Dusk
Summary: Blood has been drawn on both sides, friends forever lost, a new cycle of hatred threatening to spin out of control. As the Senshi are denied time to recover from battle, hope flickers in the arrival of old friends. But as lines are drawn in the sand only to be crossed, Earth's defenders must look beyond the failings and misgivings of the past if they are to have a future...
1. Chapter 1

**Sailor Moon: A Call to Arms**

**Part Two: Lines In the Sand**

**Chapter One**

_A Time and a Season_

"Damn it," one of the med techs cried. Admiral Dah'lha cya Cagerino slowly sat back down in her chair while Emperor Klavish shook his head and exited the bridge, followed by Warlord Vlarokh. The med tech looked over at Jihanna Melvi and shook his head. "He's too far from the transport site to get him out."

Jihanna looked with eager eyes at the display on the battle bridge of the Goddess Sword. The vitals for Jorvist had spiked and started falling. _A killing blow. Let him suffer._ "He's already ran away once. That should've invalidated further participation, but now he pays for his crimes." The vitals ebbed away and suddenly cut off.

"That can't be. How is he in two... oh Goddess..."

Heggith Cloik's jaw dropped. "That's... barbaric..."

Jihanna smiled. "It's better than he deserved." A satellite image showed a blurry image. The blurred body of Jorvist was missing a blurred spot where a head should have been. "He isn't suffering any more." She looked over at the neutral expression on Telleschya nel Ikyuri. "We'll get him back."

"He is dead to me," she replied evenly. "He is dead to us all. After everything I did for him..."

_You always were a horrible liar._ "Regardless, there are already too few Aschothiylis left. We owe it to their race as a whole to take him alive."

"Just..." she shook her head as she retied her long dark hair in a ponytail. "Don't let it make you fail. Although he bailed on his end of the deal, I'm still Godmother to your firstborn. And in order to have a firstborn..."

"We will strike before he can recover enough to come to their aid. Our target is Sailor Moon. We will draw her and her allies out and finish them off. They will not stand long against our teamwork." She winked at Heggith, who merely nodded back at her, still put off by her satisfaction of Jorvist's grim demise.

"It is now up to us," he said softly.

Jihanna took Heggith's hand in hers. "Come with me. Hurry!"

Heggith followed as she quickly lead him through the loud, metallic corridors of the Goddess Sword. "Where are we going?"

"Jorvist never reclaimed Igrosh's body. They will call upon us, and very soon."

"Then what is the hurry?"

"This is something I've wanted for a very long time."

They hurried the rest of the way in silence, finishing their journey at the entrance to her room. "Come inside," she said as she entered her password, opening the thick metal door. Heggith obediently followed her as the door shut and audibly latched itself behind him. "I won't be but a moment."

Jihanna scurried into the bathroom and shut the door. She looked at herself in the mirror. She was average height for a Cardheyan, which meant she was short by Klijargan standards, which were eerily similar to Earth and Aschothiyl. Twenty-four of what they called hours, and slightly more than three hundred and sixty-five days for the planet to orbit the sun. All three planets even had a forty-five degree tilt for seasons. But that had nothing to do with nothing!

She unzipped her red blazer and tossed it to the floor. Her red slacks put up a bit more resistance as she forgot to take off her boots first. Her undergarments followed suit. As she looked at herself in the mirror, she hated the idea of rushing into things, but she had waited over two years. By officially adopting Klijargan customs in addition to the faith when she joined the military, she had subjected herself to the laws and standards of Klijargan marriage. A marriage was only an engagement until a child was born. And in addition to that snare, she and Heggith had abstained due to the war with Hyuito and their acceptance into the Holy Guard.

"It won't matter after tomorrow..." She looked at her body, knowing full well she would be looking at a different Jihanna Melvi when she woke up in a matter of hours to retrieve two bodies. She breathed a deep, calming breath, opened the door, and walked out.

Heggith's eyes widened as she looked at her for a moment before turning away. "J-Jihanna... what..."

She closed the distance and turned his eyes to hers. "Heggith," she whispered. "For the past four years, you have been my ally, my partner, my intended, and my best friend. But tonight..." She began unzipping his blazer with one hand and fiddling with his trousers with the other. "Tonight, I want you to be my lover."

*.*.*

Author's notes...

Yeah, it's short. It was supposed to be a quick little prologue. Actually, it was the epilogue way back in the day, and it was about three or four paragraphs. The next chapter's gonna be a good bit longer and the dream world starts up its stuff again.

Um... depending in the time zone, I SORTA made my deadline and didn't miss it by five minutes... Also, I am not doing prologues and epilogues. It's an thing, but I'll gladly take it any day of the year over the HTML nightmare that is deviantArt.

I should have chapters 1 and 2 up this weekend as well, hopefully...


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

_Gone But Not Forgotten_

A soft breeze coaxed Naru Osaka into opening her eyes. She felt warm, but not hot. It was perfect weather, but her eyes said differently. The sky was red and the crystal clear full moon was black. There was no sun, but the red light from the sky allowed her to see as if it were a sunny day. _Am I... dead?_

Was she in hell? Purgatory? Was the dusty wasteland surrounding her truly the afterlife? She observed herself and realized she was still wearing her dress for Ami's party that she never made it to. She remembered the brutal assault and the grizzly end of her attacker at the hands of The Journeyman. Her knee was fine other than the visible hole in it. At least it didn't hurt and worked normally in the dream world or afterlife, whichever was applicable. She stood up and took a few steps. "Now what..."

She looked around at three hundred and sixty degrees of empty horizon, all red sky. The ground was an off white powder. She kicked at it and a layer of off white gravel and rock was underneath. The soft breeze didn't seem to kick up any dust. Then again, what was the point of physics when you were dreaming? Or dead...

She stopped breathing for a moment, and almost felt as if some mysterious force was pushing air back into her lungs again before she had a chance to see if she actually needed to breathe anymore. She followed up that inconclusive experiment by taking her pulse. After a moment of pushing on her wrist and then her neck, she felt a faint, mostly rhythmic pressure. She smiled slightly as she was convinced that she was still alive in the real world.

"Mr. Rabbit," she asked softly. No rabbit with a fob watch came running by, complaining about being late. She looked at the ground again. Although she displaced the dust when she moved, it filled back in as soon as she looked away. No footprints to see if she was walking in circles. Then again, maybe she should be calling for a certain rabbit of the moon...

She looked at the small slit just below her knee again. It was rather unsightly, but it wasn't gushing blood. She wondered if she would be able to fully recover after such an injury. Then again, she had to survive the severe shock and blood loss, first. Her next experiment, which would have involved trying to taste the dirt, was interrupted by the sound of an approaching car. A red car of the Lamborghini or Ferrari persuasion. She wasn't sure, as she had never looked into it...

_It can't be..._ Was she only alive enough to be ferried to the afterlife by a friendly face? Was that it? Was it over? _No... _The car slowed and stopped in front of her. Naru took a step back as she heard the sound of a power window rolling down, wondering if she should be running. Even if it was hopeless, she would fight for as long as she could!

"Please get in," a familiar, missed voice said.

"Mr. Sanjouin..." Naru obeyed. Surely he wouldn't betray her again. She opened the car and gazed upon him. He was the way she had remembered him. Long brown hair, soft blue eyes and a periwinkle blue sports jacket.

He looked at her and smiled a gentle smile, one he truly meant. "Please, call me Masato. I like my human name."

"Am I going to die?" She put on her seatbelt and looked back at him.

"That is up to you."

"What do you mean?"

Masato pointed to a small box on the dashboard. "It's really quite simple. There are two chocolate parfaits in that box. If you wish to stay here with me..."

Naru grabbed the box and tossed it out of Masato's window. "It's not that I don't wish to see you, but if I don't wake up, it'll kill my mother, and I'll be damned if I miss Usagi-_chan's_ wedding."

Masato chuckled as he rolled up the window with the push of a button. "I understand. Hang on."

Naru was pressed against her seat as the engine roared and the car sped forward. "Is this thing a Lamborghini or a Ferrari?"

"I think it's a Corvette. I'm not really sure, though. It was stolen. Why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering. I never really looked into it after you died."

"I never really thought about it until now." Naru was held in place by her seatbelt as the car audibly skidded to a halt.

"Um... how did you make that noise on powdered dirt?"

"Just go with it," he said with a wink. "This is your stop."

Naru looked out her window. "My old house in Juuban?"

"You look tired. Take a nap. When you wake up, you'll be back in the world of the living. And do me a favor."

"Yes?"

"Look into what kind of car this is. Now it's gonna bother me until I find out." He started chuckling.

"Wouldn't it be on the car somewhere?"

"This isn't a real car."

"Wait... how do I tell you what kind of car this is?"

"We'll see each other one more time. We'll share the parfait then. Now if you don't mind, I got another appointment."

"Another person is making a choice, too?"

He frowned. "You're very lucky. This one, not so much."

She nodded her understanding. "Masoto, I might not be back here for decades."

He shrugged. "Time isn't linear here, nor is it interpreted the way you interpret it in your world."

"Is this a dream or the transition between life and death?"

The gentle smile returned. "Yes."

Naru smiled at his answer. "Alright. You take care of yourself."

"You too. I want you to be gray and hunched over when we meet again."

Naru exited the vehicle as another girl got in the car. "Omi?"

She looked at her and squinted. She didn't have her glasses and her pink hair was done up in balls from the dance, but one had been cut off. She had a scarf covering her neck, but there were several very visible cuts on her face. She smiled at her and gave her a peace sign as Masoto's car sped off.

"Take a nap," Naru said to herself as she walked towards the front door. She began to feel dizzy and lightheaded, as if her breaths weren't having any effect. As she opened the door, she felt a shocking sensation running through her chest. "No!" She slammed the door and locked it for good measure. Naru stumbled towards the couch as things became blurry. It was naptime. Masoto wasn't going to betray her again. As the dream faded into a deeper level of unconsciousness and she felt a rib break, she smiled. She knew she would wake up again...

_Until we meet again, Masoto..._

*.*.*

Tetsuya's eyes snapped open when he heard a familiar laughing sound. He was in the room with no walls, a dirty floor and that damned hazy, cracked mirror. He looked at his reflection. The figure perfectly mimicked his movements, but it wasn't him, it was something he simply called The Monster.

"Your mother did wonders during our last confrontation," he said with his ghostly voice. Two glowing orbs that were like iridescent shimmering holographs could be seen under the dark, faded purple cloak he wore. Two gnarled hands with pale brown, leathery skin and claws for fingernails were holding a glowing orb. It was him, alright. "I can taunt you and remind you of your failures until the _moopawaks_ come home, but I can't touch you."

"... Mom?" Tetsuya remembered the black lightning that burned his very essence, burned his soul. Ever since the day the Klijargans invaded Aschothiyl, he had had occasional dreams where The Monster would attack him, and one by one, his guardians would hold him at bay long enough for Tetsuya to wake up. Back then, he had called himself Pethospoe Jirghy. "Mom!"

Only silence followed. First, Jorda had held The Monster off. She had been his friend when he was still a child. He protected her from the pimps and mistresses who wanted to sell her out, but the only protection he could offer her was joining him as a mule, running drug deliveries through the slums. It kept them off of the streets and away from the horrible orphanages, but she started using and overdosed when she was twelve. After her stand against The Monster, Tetsuya never saw Jorda in a dream again.

Following her was his Uncle Reeshka, who had helped his mother raise him. Tetsuya didn't see The Monster for a long time after that, not until the night he had almost killed himself. He chickened out and cried himself to sleep, only to be greeted by The Monster's laughter and his mother's terrified voice. He tried to fight that time. He knew he'd never see her again in the dream realm if The Monster fought her. Together, they sealed him in a mirror.

But it had been in vain. In order to make the seal permanent, his mother sacrificed her spiritual essence. As she faded away, she begged him to keep fighting and not give up hope. Despite the crushing realization that she was truly gone forever, he kept his promise and began devising his escape from the Klijargans the next morning.

It was one of the few promises he had yet to break. But no matter how things turned out, he would never see her again. She had been murdered when he was eight, and her spirit, which had protected and guided him, had finally perished in the last battle with The Monster.

"You know you're just wasting your breath. She's gone forever."

Tetsuya looked away from the mirror. "I know that."

"You're all alone."

Memories of a silly blonde girl with two ridiculous pigtails from two buns on her head made him smile, especially the comment about Omi needing a stick to beat off boys at college. He wondered if she ever realized the double meaning of her words. He opened his mouth to speak, but The Monster cut in.

"They'll leave you too. Omi was just the first."

"I have to believe otherwise. Sailor Moon is undefeated."

The Monster laughed. "So are the Klijargans. An unstoppable force and an unmovable object. What happens when they meet? The answer is rather simple. One of them loses, and the odds say that you picked the wrong side. Getting killed for a hopeless cause. Hardly any way to repay Celthia for her..."

"Don't you dare speak her name!" Tetsuya stalked up to the mirror, The Monster helplessly copying his movements.

"What's in a name? You're on your _third_ one! But don't tell him that..."

Tetsuya saw another reflection in the mirror. _That little twit..._ He turned to face a young boy wearing the clothing he had worn the day his mother and uncle died. "You again? I see you brought your friend."

Hiding behind him was a little girl in a light purple nightgown. She was holding a stuffed animal that looked like a cross between a panda bear and a kangaroo. "It's okay," the boy said to her. "He can't hurt you anymore."

"Anymore? _Again_ with your crap! What riddles do you have for me, my younger self?"

The boy shook his head. "You never stopped being me because you never were me! I'm Celpoe Midnovir, and Celthia was _my_ mother. You're just an unfinished patchwork of broken shards of lost souls in charge of my body!"

_Big words, little man._ "I never saw her protecting you."

"That's because she still had hope in the future."

Tetsuya walked up to Celpoe and stared down at him. "Let me guess... there is no hope for the future?"

"As long as you live, hope dies."

"As long as you live," Tetsuya repeated in a mocking voice, "hope dies. Wow, where did you steal that one from? Most eight year olds aren't that insightful."

The girl huddled closer to Celpoe. "Knock it off. You're scaring her."

Tetsuya took a step back. "Sorry. I dunno why she hangs around with a schmuck like you, but who am I to judge?"

"No one's perfect," the girl said softly, not making eye contact. "Please... try harder."

Tetsuya opened his mouth to reply, but the words never came. Never once in the two years of his run ins with The Monster, Celpoe and the little girl, and his dead family and friends did the boy ever say a word of kindness or encouragement. Why would the girl be any different? "Is your name... Mellaha?"

The tiniest hint of a smile crept upon her face while she continued to avoid eye contact. "No..."

"You sure?"

She twirled in place back and forth slightly as the smile grew. "I'm not from Aschothiyl like you two."

"He's not from anywhere," Celpoe snapped. The smile on the girl's face faded as she stood still again, looking away from both of them. "Why are you even talking to him? Don't encourage him! You _know_ what he is."

"And what am I," Tetsuya asked softly, looking at the girl. "Please."

The girl hugged Celpoe. "I'm sorry, but this is where we have to disagree to agree." Although she had misspoken the phrase, she understood the concept. She made eye contact with Tetsuya and smiled. "You're your mother's son. No matter what happened or what will happen, Celthia sees you as her son, just like Celpoe. That's all that matters because that means she's your mommy, too."

The room began to fade and blur. "What do you mean by no matter what happened? How does that affect..."

It was too late, and the dream ended with the sound of The Monster's condescending laughter.

*.*.*

*.*.*

*.*.*

Author's notes: Um, pretty significant change from the original story. Naru gets a dream scene, and Tetsuya's mother and Jorda are already gone in the dream word as well. In addition, The Monster, Celpoe and the girl are introduced way earlier than when I originally wrote it. As for the confusion to Sanjouin's car, I'm not sure what he drove. I googled it, and I got nuttin! So, that's how I'm writing it in. :P

Um, this was originally the prologue to part two, now it's chapter two. Um, expect Tetsuya's past to come slowly in bits and pieces, as in addition to not wanting to admit things to his friends, by doing so, he validates those events by admitting them to himself, and he has to embrace the fact that in addition to being Tetsuya Journey, he is also Pethospoe Jirghy and Celpoe Midnovir, and he can't keep outrunning his past.

Uh, I hope I described the girl's movement right. You know that thing that kids'll do when they kinda rotate clockwise and counterclockwise standing in place with their feet not moving when they're thinking about something? That's what I'm trying to convey. I dunno. It's late, and I get two of my teeth drilled tomorrow. I'd like to get chapter three up by Wednesday, but I'm not making any guarantees.

Oh! The Dark Knight Returns: Part Two and The Dark Knight Rises were both $#%&ing awesome! Don't hate Bane for not being The Joker. G'night!

Oh, yeah! Thanks to everyone who's read my stuff or written a comment or critique!


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

_The Courage of a Coward_

Tetsuya began sobbing almost instantly after opening his eyes. It was a fresh reminder that he would never see her face, hear her voice, or feel her touch again, not even in the lucid dream world. His guardian angel, his moral compass when he was on the brink, his only friend growing up, was gone forever. Only forced memories would replay her smile and her soft, nurturing voice. And so once again, the scared boy from Aschothiyl had his mother's death flaunted in his face.

He rolled onto his uninjured side, which just happened to be facing away from the other person in the room. Although he had been through hell and back and sustained a potentially life threatening injury, he was still a seventeen year old boy and didn't like to cry in front of other people. Then again, being beaten whenever tears fell during his training under the Klijargans also gave him a reason to hide his tears. _The priests were the worst..._

"Hey," a familiar voice said softly. "You're back with us. Trust me, I know how much it hurts. Ami-_chan_ says you're healing up pretty fast, though. You stopped bleeding and the bones set themselves. That's a pretty neat ability you got, that and something about being a copy cat?"

"Mi... Minako?" he stammered in reply, still looking away.

"Yeah. Um, that suit of yours must be defective or something. It seeped back into you about a minute after you passed out."

"So, you and Ami are friends... of the Sailor Senshi?" Tetsuya slowed his breathing and forced himself to calm down.

Minako got up from her chair at the foot of his futon and sat down next to him. "Can you look this way?"

Tetsuya wiped his eyes and rolled onto his back again and met her gentle gaze. "What is it?"

"We decided that it's probably for the best if there are no more secrets. I'm Sailor Venus."

Tetsuya was sucker punched by a plethora of hidden memories, but they were still hazy. Only she and Rei stood out in them. There were others, but they remained blurred and hidden in shadow. Then he remembered the shrine after Vendeusi's attack. "After Vendeusi... I swear I was going to tell you. All of you. But..."

"Luna didn't know your secret at the time. She's the black cat with the crescent moon on her forehead."

Another crash of displaced memories flooded his mind. "_Neko-sama_? _She_ did all of this to me?"

"She and Artemis can be _very_ persuasive when they need to be..."

"Who's Artemis? Her sister?"

Minako laughed. "Artemis is a he, even though he's named after a goddess. Try not to make fun of him for it until you get to know him a little better."

"So he's a black tomcat with a crescent moon on his head? Ahh..." Tetsuya winced as a fresh wave of pain cascaded from his injured arm. "I forgot how much broken bones hurt while healing..."

"Three days for broken bones, right?"

"Yeah. How long have I been out?"

Minako fumbled with her watch that looked like the device that Rei had used to communicate with the others. "Um... gimme a second... um..."

"Names and telling time. You forget these, but can convincingly half quote and half adlib Shakespeare on the spot?"

Minako rolled her eyes. "Um... it's... oh... an hour or so? No more than two."

He smiled. "Good. I need food. Lots. If I don't have anything in my stomach while I'm regenerating, my body eats fat, and then muscle tissue."

"Were you injured before you came to Earth?"

"Yeah. That, and I was beaten and starved on a regular basis. They called it training and spiritual fasting."

"Do all of them go through that?"

"No... I was... maybe when all of the Senshi are here..."

"That might not be for awhile."

"Where are the others? I... urhg... didn't see any particularly bad injuries. Are they alright?"

Minako did a quick face palm before replying. "Sorry, I forgot. I'm supposed to tell you about the others. You know that I'm Sailor Venus and Rei-_chan_ is Sailor Mars. Um, Ami-_chan_... well, she's, um..."

Tetsuya nodded. "She knows our identities as well, so she can be trusted." He looked at the bandages on his arm. "She did a really good job. It's good to have her helping out. Ah..." Tetsuya winced as he sat up. "Any others who are in the know? Does her mom also know about the Senshi's secret identities?"

Minako shook her head. "I'm not being clear, Tetsuya. Ami isn't a secret keeper, she is..."

"No."

Minako arched an eyebrow. "Tetsuya?"

He looked off to the side and glowered. "Don't you _dare_ say it."

"Why would it be so bad?"

Tetsuya started breathing faster as he began absent-mindedly picking at his upper lip, almost like stroking a mustache that wasn't even there. "Oh... no..."

Minako shook her head. "Talk to me, Goose. I don't understand what's going on inside your head."

"If Ami is a Sailor Senshi, then how the hell am I supposed to protect her? It was bad enough with the attack on the rails. How can I keep Saeko's only child alive if she is always running towards people who are trying to kill her? She's Sailor Mercury, isn't she..."

Minako put her hand on Tetsuya's shoulder as she nodded confirmation of Ami's alter ego. "We're a team. Me, Ami-_chan_, Usagi..."

Tetsuay winced. "Oh, no. Not her, too. Usagi is Sailor Jupiter? She's gonna need a neck brace that matches her wedding gown if she keeps getting into fights with your chain whip."

Minako smiled slightly. "That whip seems to be out to get Sailor Jupiter, but Usagi isn't Sailor Jupiter."

Tetsuya looked back at her and bit his lower lip. It wasn't very effective and he made a choking sound as he tried to suppress a sob. "They'll... stop at nothing..." He laid back down as the sobs overtook him. Memories of Usagi and Mamoru at the Subway the day they met flashed through his mind. The way they looked into each other's eyes, the vision of them getting married, the look of jealousy on Mamoru's face when he heard about Usagi's knocked up comment, it all slammed into him. Unless a miracle happened, she was going to die, and she would never be Mamoru's bride.

Minako gently placed her hand on Tetsuya's injured hand as his uninjured one was hiding his eyes as he continued to cry silently. "It's okay to be scared. We're all scared of losing each other. But that fear, and the love we all have for one another, it inspires us to fight on, no matter how grim the odds."

_I can't do this anymore..._ He could only withstand so much. It wasn't out of a need to talk effectively, nor was it out of pride to not be seen crying in front of a girl. He had simply reached his breaking point, and like the coward he was, he ran away. He gave up. He caved in and began chanting the mantras of emotion suppression.

"Um... I don't get what you're saying. Is that Ashy... um... your home planet's language?"

Tetsuya kept speaking the mantras, but softly squeezed her hand to let her know that he wasn't ignoring her. She remained silent until the last mantra was spoken. He wiped his eyes again and sat up, gently pulling his injured hand away from Minako's soft grasp.

"You okay, now?"

He shook his head. "It's an emotion suppressing mantra. It... makes me numb. If I get too scared, or too angry, or both, I can start losing control of myself." He shrugged. "That, and... to be honest, I just can't handle it right now." He looked her in the eyes. "I'm not exactly a knight in shining armor. I'm a traitor, a runaway, and a coward. I guess under the right circumstances, I can be cornered into fighting for something worth fighting for, like being a groomsman at Usagi's wedding."

Minako smiled. "Isn't that being a bit presumptuous?"

He didn't smile back. "Not at all. I'm all in. Usagi and I both need to survive this if she is to be a bride and I a groomsman for her wedding. Oh, no..."

"What?"

"Mamoru's Tuxedo Mask... isn't he... crap!"

"Yes. He's protected Usagi ever since her first mission as a Senshi. Although he has a really bad habit of coming to the rescue at the very last second..."

"Wait... the battle... Jorvist... he's dead."

"It's alright. He can't hurt anyone else ever again."

"Naru?"

Minako looked away.

"She didn't make it?"

Minako looked back at him. "I don't know. She's at the hospital right now. Usagi's in the waiting room with Naru's parents. She's gonna give us a ring as soon as she gets the word."

Tetsuya took a moment to reflect. With the chaotic spin of unorganized thoughts and unlocked memories, nothing flowed. He then realized that he was on a futon in a room with tatami flooring. "Where am I?"

"You're at Rei's shrine."

He felt the haze of fatigue artificially increase the weight of his head and shook it away. All it did was give him a headache. He ignored the added discomfort and smiled slightly. "Where's Rei-_chan?_"

"Ami-_chan_ took her to a clinic down the road. She kept puking as soon as she tried to drink water, and she was sweating like no tomorrow. It's probably just a couple of IV's with fluids, ibuprophen and whatever they use to tell your stomach to stop throwing up."

"She was looking rather poorly."

Minako frowned. "Not quiet a compliment to tell an acquaintance when she's in her underwear."

Tetsuya thought about it for a moment. "I guess she was. I didn't really... notice..." He thought of another girl he had seen in her underwear earlier that evening. He _had_ noticed her... "Ami-_chan_ wasn't really drunk, though."

Minako winced. "Yeah. We didn't know you were The Journeyman, and we had to get rid of you in a hurry."

"Does Mako-_chan_ know about any of this? I'm all for keeping identities secret, but I love her. She's the first girl I've ever had the courage to say it to. If I have to lose her, I don't want it to end because of something like Ami-_chan_ kissing me just to make a convincing scene."

Minako seemed lost in thought for a moment.

"So, how do we explain the situation to her without blowing our cover? I'm serious. This isn't something I'm just going to let happen."

"Tetsuya-_kun_, Mako-_chan_ is Sailor Jupiter. I'm sorry."

Tetsuya hung his head and said nothing.

"I am so, so sorry. I know how you feel about her and the thought of your friends being in harm's way, but..."

"But _nothing_," he snarled as he forced himself to his feet.

"Woah," Minako replied as she stood up with him. "Easy there. You're still..."

"What the hell's the point of _anything?!_" He growled as he began pacing back and forth, a sneer forming on his upper lip. "I fled those bastards to escape warfare, to escape seeing people I cared about, or... or... at least didn't openly despise to... they... they..."

"Please..."

"They take them away from me forever!"

"Just say the mantras again. I think they..."

Tetsuya shoved her away with his good arm. "I don't want to say any more goddamn mantras! I hate this false feeling of... nothingness! I might as well be gutted and turned into a robot!"

"Please, Tetsuya..."

He stumbled and pushed himself off of a corner and regained his unsteady footing. "You haven't seen these monsters in action. What Jorvist and Vendeusi did, it was _nothing_ compared to what I've seen with my own eyes! And the people I've confided in, trusted, loved... I _fled_ to you! We were all supposed to be safe! We were all supposed..."

Minako grabbed Tetsuya's shoulders. "It'll be alright! We won't let them hurt you! I swear it in the name of Venus, we will protect you..."

"I don't care if I die," he softly interjected. "But... I can't stand the thought of seeing someone else I care about be taken away forever. It's not about me..."

"I know it looks bad, but we've been through worse."

"I'm gonna need some convincing on..." Tetsuya swayed slightly.

"I got'cha..." Minako put Tetsuya's uninjured arm around her shoulder. "C'mon. Just breathe for now."

Minako helped Tetsuya back to his futon. "Oh... wow..."

"You don't look so good," she said, although she was smiling slightly.

"Do you have some sick, twisted joy with playing nurse?"

"_That_ is actually a funny story, but I am reformed. Besides, you're not sick. You're hurt. You need rest, and relaxation."

He stood up again.

"Dude... you're supposed to be laying down..."

"I wouldn't blame you for wanting to play doctor."

Her smile died like a slug in salt water. "Um... _what?_"

"It's different where I come from. Playing doctor is when a bully tortures a weaker kid. Doctors where I come from are feared like dentists here."

Minako leaned up against the wall next to him. "What are you talking about? You're going off on a tangent."

"I'm not kidding... I'm not the guy you all think I am. That was just a show." He grunted as his arm reminded him it was broken. "He's not who I am."

"But he's who you want to be?"

He said nothing.

"C'mon, you're a great guy. The way you were offering to make sure I wasn't the only girl who didn't dance with a guy..."

"I was keeping my options open," he replied, looking down. "I wasn't set on Mako-_chan_, and Ami had just told me that she had broken up with Ryo. Then Makoto came back, and I made my decision." He looked back at her. "I told you I wasn't a knight in shining armor."

"The way you ran towards Naru's scream... not exactly how I'd describe a coward."

He shrugged. "Maybe having something worth fighting for gives me courage." He slid down into a sitting position.

"You were... really..." She looked at him with a look that was a cross between confusion and doubt.

"Really what? I'm not catching... ow... what you're hinting at."

"You really were considering... um..."

"Could you just spell it out for me?"

Minako fidgeted for a moment before speaking again. "You wanted to be my date?"

Tetsuya chuckled. "I was considering stealing you from that one guy. I never caught his name."

Minako shrugged as she playfully tossed her hair. "And you never will. He's not worth mentioning. So, um, now that you are with Mako-_chan_, you're not still keeping your options open?"

"I didn't think I'd fall so hard for someone so fast, but, I took a chance and she let me in. And now I can't imagine life without her. I even stopped noticing..."

"Ami-_chan_? It was kinda hard not to see the way you looked at her until the dance. Um, well, I guess my Love Goddess curse strikes again. Finally a guy who might actually reciprocate feelings comes along, and my best friend snatches him away."

"I'm not really your type."

Minako slid down next to him. "Oh? Brooding, mysterious, full of real feelings?"

"Short, scrawny, unpopular, hardly any hair that isn't blond to go with his not-blue eyes, and a voice that isn't that deep or mysterious."

Minako winced. "Yeah. I guess I got blinders on. But, who knows." She shrugged again and stood up. "Then again, I guess we'll never know. I'll rustle up some grub for ya."

"Where is she?"

"Mako-_chan?_ She's pining by herself. See how I'm all cheery and spunky after your mini-meltdown? It wasn't the first time tonight I witnessed a reaction like that. She flipped out, too. She adores you. It's going to be alright. Trust me."

"Yeah," he sighed. "I guess so. So, about that food..."

Their eyes widened with anticipation and fear as Minako's watch beeped. "Usagi-_chan_..."

*.*.*

*.*.*

*.*.*

Author's notes...

*.*.*

To my two avidly active readers... you should despise Oblivion as much as I love it. Anyhoo...

This is _very_ different than how I originally wrote it almost thirteen years ago. There was a huge blowup between Tetsuta and Makoto and... I think that this is better. The most courageous of the Inner Senshi running away. For all her power, her ability to single-handedly kill a monster of the day, she finds herself powerless against the flows of fate. And the scared little boy who fell from the sky has to watch as his whole new world begins to crumble in on itself as Journeyman and Tetsuya, Senshi and friends all blur into one gooey puddle of chance where the cards were a two and a seven of different suites, and folding isn't an option.

Tetsuya's episodes are somewhat of an exaggeration of my own counter-culture shock of redeploying from a combat zone. This is fiction, and there's a certain thematic element of drama attached to it. I've never been in direct fire, but I've felt the shockwave of a mortar round that came in close a couple times. And as much as me and the guys would joke about it, being in an environment where there are other human beings doing everything in their power to kill you for half a year causes changes in you. And while they _eventually_ faded away over the course of three years, the memory remains.

My time in Iraq made me realized how off I was about someone who had been in threatening situations, but what do you expect from an eighteen-year-old senior in high school? All things considered, I think I've polished this turd rather nicely. :) I'm gonna finish smearing lipstick on the next piggy! This was supposed to be only half of one chapter, but... I said 'chapters' and 'up this weekend.' Never specified which time zone... GO HAWAI'I! So, I'm turning one into two. Unscrupulous? Yes! Lying? Not really...

Google 'DJ Particle Mary Sue Lyrics.' Even I had to laugh at that. Tetsuya actually _does_ know some astrophysics... _

Oh! Author notes... Um... originally, Tetsuya woke up and Ami was there. Well, Minako needs some love from the spotlight, too. And she's the perfect neutral character to be there, too! Ami will have her own part to play soon enough...


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

_The Brilliance of a Fool_

Saeko Mizuno slammed open the doors to the waiting room, jolting Usagi out of her gloomy reverie as she sat huddled up against Mamoru. The doctor had blood smears on her smock, but she was starting to smile slightly.

"She's okay?" Mayumi Osaka asked weakly.

A strange man who looked like he had contributed some of Naru's features put his hand on her shoulder.

Saeko nodded. "She's stabilized. The tourniquet that Sailor Moon put on her saved her life."

"The orange ribbon..." Usagi said. "You can't throw it out."

Saeko looked at her oddly.

"It's sentimental to her," Mamoru said softly. "If she looses it, it will impede her psychological recovery."

"What about..." Mayumi started, but Saeko vanished behind the door, hopefully to make sure that a certain piece of cloth wasn't lost after being used to bandage a third person.

"It doesn't matter," the man said softly. "Our little girl is going to be alright."

"But... her leg. I had to sell my store and work as a manager for the buyer in Chiba as a deal just to break even. My insurance won't pay for physical therapy."

"Miss Osaka," another voice called from the double doors Saeko had appeared from and disappeared back into. "Can we have a word?"

Mayumi and Naru's father, or Usagi assumed as much, followed, leaving her and Mamoru in a waiting room full of strangers. She pointed at her watch and Mamoru nodded. The two left the waiting room and walked towards the main entrance. A red headed Caucasian woman was arguing with a receptionist, trying to decipher her words with a frayed phrase book. Usagi continued toward the exit while Mamoru went towards the front desk.

*.*.*

"May I help you," Mamoru slowly asked her in English. The young woman arched an eyebrow at him.

"Can you tell this floozy that I am legally Sayako Nakama's next of kin?" She asked, trying to restrain herself.

"May I see the paperwork?"

"I can't make out anything other than my name on those squiggles. She's saying something about my ID card being expired and my passport is _invalid_ as identification?"

He looked at the receptionist and pointed at the names, speaking in his native language. "Excuse me, but this is a legally binding document. If there is a Sayako Nakama at this hospital, you are obligated to treat her as next of kin."

"She's the third person claiming to be here for her," the mousy-faced receptionist replied stiffly. "Someone gets attacked by an alien and flown here and all of a sudden, every reporter is a close friend or relation to her. This crazy gaijin is the lamest..."

"She's legit," Mamoru interrupted. "My name is Mamoru Chiba. Naru Osaka is my fiance's childhood friend. If Sayako Nakama was attacked in Chiba by an alien, then that means that she was trying to help Naru out. If Miss..." he looked at the paperwork. "If Miss Murphy is listed as Sayako's next of kin, then I am making it my personal mission to see that Naru's would-be rescuer is given her due. Or are you challenging this?" He handed the paperwork back to the receptionist.

"Well, I guess..."

"And are you disavowing the legitimacy of a passport issued by a sovereign government?"

"We _prefer_ a driver's license, and hers is expired."

"I don't give a damn about what you prefer!" Mamoru slammed the passport onto the counter in front of her. "This is a valid, legal document identifying her as who she claims to be, and the same person as on the paperwork designating her as Sayako's next of kin. Now tell me, so I can translate! Is Sayako Nakama at this hospital?"

The receptionist sighed and typed on her keyboard for a moment. She began to speak when a very audible argument from an elevator became much more audible as the doors opened. The woman Mamoru had been helping ran towards the elevator, leaving her paperwork at the desk. Mamoru inferred that Sayako Nakama was the young woman in the wheel chair swearing at the doctors in an Okinawan dialect, as she and Miss Murphy began rapidly conversing in English. He turned his attention back towards the doors and was on his way until being knocked off of his feet by a frantic Umino.

*.*.*

"Usagi-_chan_..." Minako's voice chirped from the watch, her expression hiding none of her anticipation.

"She's alive," Usagi said softly. "Please tell the others. How's our hero doing?"

"You hear that?" Minako asked, looking off to the side. "You're a hero." She looked back at the display with a slight smirk. "He's a little shaken by everything that's happened so far."

"Shaken?"

"He reacted the same way Mako-_chan_ did. It just shows how much he cares."

Usagi thought of Tetsuya in three particular ways at that moment. First, he was the short, scrawny, friendly young man who had shown up with Ami at Subway one Sunday afternoon and since worked his way into the Senshi's inner circle as Umino 2.0, or Slouch as Minako called him when he wasn't around. The second was the heroic stranger known as The Journeyman who had helped stop Vendeusi's rampage, assisted in stopping Jorvist at Tokyo tower and finished him off in Chiba, saving Naru and all of the Senshi, despite suffering a terrible injury.

She shuddered when she remembered seeing Jorvist's body, a wound in his chest. It would have rendered him dying and unable to fight. Why his head was missing and many feet away made her realize that Tetsuya had executed a helpless foe and kicked the head away. Ami had even theorized from the blood pattern on the chest that the wound had come from the back. If Jorvist had still been temporarily deafened, it would have been easy to sneak up behind him and deliver a killing blow. Given the circumstances of forced melee with no preset rules of engagement, that was acceptable. Mutilating the body though...

And the third view of Tetsuya emerged. A maniacal, unbalanced berserker who had barely regained enough of himself to stop from killing Naru. But the pain he had inflicted upon himself was only enough to temporarily offset the madness. He knew he was about to lose control again. Yet despite his faults and merciless brutality, he had been willing to kill himself to save the others... from himself.

"What's up," Minako asked, breaking Usagi's reverie. "C'mon, something's up."

"We don't know how Naru-_chan's_ recovery is going to go." Although it wasn't a lie, it wasn't what was on her mind. Tetsuya had charged ahead of them when Naru screamed. It didn't fit the vision of the young man who had fainted after the rail attack or who had become visibly disturbed and incoherent after seeing the woman killed by Vendeusi on the TV at Rei's. The Journeyman angle challenged everything she knew or thought she knew about the man who had suddenly become a tangible part of her life.

_He reacted the same way Mako-_chan_ did. It just shows how much he cares._ Usagi replayed Minako's words and remembered Makoto's tearful reaction knowing the young man she had fallen in love with was in harm's way. She knew that Makoto would probably need until the next day to cool off and sort things out. Hopefully she wouldn't begrudge Tetsuya for being The Journeyman, but love made people do really stupid things. And unfortunately, the more in love someone was, the stupider they could become.

"It's a lot," Minako said in a reassuring tone. "Usagi-_chan_, if there's nothing else productive you can do, go home and get some sleep. You'll need to be strong for Naru-_chan_ when she wakes up."

"_Hai_." Usagi clicked the watch off before Minako could say anything else. She took a few more steps towards the door before a clean cut man in his early thirties stepped in her path.

"Tsukino, Usagi?" he asked. He was tall, naturally. His brown hair was short and combed back. He seemed like a clean cut, uncool version of Motoki, and the lines on his brow indicated that he was more accustomed to frowning and scowling than smiling. He was probably a police officer undercover.

"_Eh_." She nodded her reply.

"I'm Detective Wakagi of the Toyko Metropolitan Police, Special Investigations Unit."

"Oh." She straightened up and bowed to him. "How may I help you, Detective?"

He returned the bow. "The press is being held off by our officers for now, but they'll mob you if you go out that way."

"Oh." Usagi looked back and noticed the occasional flicker of light, probably the reflection from a camera flash.

"There's an exit on the side normally used by staff. Officer Kamon will show you the way." He pointed towards a younger man in blue hospital scrubs who nodded in return.

Usagi bowed again. "My fiancé..."

"Mr. Chiba will also be redirected."

"You... know who I'm engaged to?"

"My department is the unofficial liaison in case the Senshi ever request support from the police, and we make it our business to know about those who are often caught up in unexplained events. Of course," he smiled at her, "anything and everything we learn is of the strictest confidentiality and for security purposes only. There is some _nasty_ litigation involved if anyone betrays that trust."

Usagi knew this was a threat to their identities. "How nasty?"

"Well, if someone wanted to claim they knew the identity of a Senshi and sell it, the money would be seized and frozen for the lifetime of their grandchildren."

Usagi tilted her head to the side. "Is that even legal?"

Detective Wakagi laughed. "We deal in the supernatural. Laws are a bit more flexible when it comes to protecting the safety of our planet." He winked at her. "And the privacy of those we are ready to assist if need be. Don't worry about your friend. If the insurance falls through, we'll make sure she receives the best care possible. She'll be running and jumping in no time. You'll see." He looked at his watch. "You should get going. I'm about to the point where I'll have to say 'I can't say' in regards to your inquiries."

She smiled and bowed a final time, and he returned it. "As long as you're not trying to look in through the curtains of my bedroom."

The detective's jaw dropped as Usagi walked past him and she followed Officer Kamon to the side exit.

*.*.*

Tetsuya stuffed himself on dried squid and fish, chips, rice cakes and washed it all down with six ramunes. How someone so thin could eat so much... _Oh, just like Usagi-_chan. Minako decided that it would indeed be best to wait until they were all there before berating him with questions. He was their friend and their ally, and although the group's relationship with Tetsuya was built upon a foundation of lies, he had single handedly saved Ami, then Rei, then all of them during the fight in Chiba. While the time for explanation from both him and the Senshi would come, for now, they both needed some rest. Returning to her duty as nurse, Minako diligently watched over Tetsuya as he slept for about five minutes before nodding off herself. Even Senshi needed sleep to heal, after all.

*.*.*

"My Naru-_chan!_" Umino grabbed Mamoru by his collar and shook frantically. "Where is she?! I... I heard there was an attack?"

"She is well," Mamoru said, offering no resistance to the frantic assault of a young man very much in love. "She is a fighter and a survivor and this is nothing to her resolve. She rests and heals as we speak."

Slowly, Umino realized himself and his surroundings. "Oh..."

Mamoru gently pushed his hands away and stood up. "It's alright, Gurio-_san_. I understand. If something had... happened to my... Usako..." Even in theory, Mamoru shuddered at the mere thought of his beloved in Naru's place.

"I don't know what to do..."

Mamoru placed a hand on his shoulder and pointed with his free hand. "Both of her parents are in that waiting room. They will want to speak to their future son. Go to them."

Umino bowed and scurried off. Mamoru walked towards the front entrance before yet another stranger intercepted him...

*.*.*

"Curses..." Usagi hissed at herself. After several years with a Goddess of Thunder in her retinue, she no longer feared thunder. However, the sudden loud noises made her jump, and the knowledge that the entire Klijargan Empire wanted to spill her blood to consecrate Earth as their holy world made her even jumpier. And if she or Mamoru were killed, Chibi-Usa would never even be born.

"Omi-_chan_..." Usagi had become so accustomed to occasional visits from her future daughter that after the conclusion of the whole Galaxia mess, she found herself waiting every day at the pier where the little girl had first fallen out of the sky, landing on top of her and stealing away a precious kiss from her Mamo-_chan_. Each time Usagi went, and each time, her Chibi-Usa never came. The days turned into weeks, then months, and then over a year passed. With no sign of Setsuna, and no viable information from Hotaru, Haruka or Michiru, it seemed that she would have to just keep on waiting. "Poor Omi-_chan_..."

With pink pigtails and an obnoxious attitude that was oddly more endearing than infuriating, Omi Midori quickly pushed her way into the whole in Usagi's heart. After her murder, Usagi found herself not wanting to think of her daughter, because it meant having to remember Omi's death, still less than five days in the past. Life dragged on, regardless. You could either kick and scream and get road rash as it dragged you along, or you could weep while keeping in step. Usagi had cried several times during her study sessions with Ami, but she kept looking over notes or slugging away at equations as she wiped her tears of frustration away. How was the current situation any different?

"Goshdarnit all to heck. To the pits of heck and..." A loud crashing sound overhead cut off her ridiculously self-censored swearing rant. She looked up and saw a cascade of shimmering reflections of light heading towards her, shielding her face just in time as several shards of glass cut into her hands and arms. Before she could even notice that she didn't feel any pain due to the shock of the situation, she heard a loud _THUMP_ right next to her. She opened her eyes and saw a long, black bag with a zipper.

"Oh... my..." It was a body bag, and it was joined by a second, also with a loud _THUMP_. Then, two strangers, a man and a woman, dressed in odd red uniforms landed next to the bags. They stared at Usagi, and she stared back for a moment. She looked up and saw that they had jumped from several stories up. She immediately backed away in a defensive stance. _They've found me!_

"Are you hurt?" The woman asked her with the same accent Jorvist had, although it sounded softer and less harsh, like a different dialect.

Usagi opened her mouth to speak, but saw that the woman was holding a third, smaller black bag. Usagi put things together in her head at record speed for her and realized that the woman was probably holding Jorvist's severed head. "You're two of them..." she whined, pretending not to know how precarious her situation truly was if they realized that she was Sailor Moon.

"Run along home," the man said with the same dialect accent as the woman. "This doesn't concern you."

"You're murderers!" Usagi abandoned her defensive stance in favor of a defiant one as the anger and frustration of the massacre at the hands of Vendeusi, the murder of Omi Midori and the maiming of Naru Osaka all came to a head. "Why don't you just murder me as well?" She spread her arms out, exposing herself to any cheap shots. "Go ahead! Add another one!"

"You arrogant little..." The man moved towards her when the woman moved in between them.

"Wait..." She looked at Usagi for a moment and dropped the bag. "Oh, no..." She lowered her head and avoided eye contact. "It's her."

_Usagi, you idiot..._ She was going to die. She had been given a golden opportunity to flee and regroup. Instead, she had choked on her own pride and indignation, and in seconds, she would be choking on her own blood and bile, dooming Earth to the mercy of the Klijargan Empire and her own daughter to oblivion and non-existence!

"You're Usagi Tsukino."

"What of it?" Usagi hissed, waiting for a killing blow. She kept her arms out. She wouldn't have time to utter the words to transform in time, anyways. Might as well die in defiance.

The woman raised the bag in her hand. "I hold here the head of the monster who took away your friend."

Usagi lowered her arms. Did they not realize she was Sailor Moon? Did Jorvist not share that information? "What of it?" She asked again.

"Don't you care that..."

"Omi-_chan_ is dead!" Usagi stalked up to the woman and stood face to face with her. "She and sixteen others were taken away by your people! Why not make me the eighteenth? Isn't that what you do? Butcher unarmed civilians?"

"I will not stand for..." the man started.

"Stop it, Heggith," the woman snapped. She looked Usagi in the eyes again. "We're not like these two. I cannot excuse their actions..."

Usagi slapped the woman and face the man, waiting for his counter attack. "You stood by and wathed and did nothing! You are all just as guilty as guilty as the desecrated corpses you are retrieving!"

"We don't have time for this," Heggith said as he grabbed both body bags and started walking away. "Pray to your gods that we are the ones to kill Sailor Moon and bring about a more merciful new order to this planet."

"Why? Why do you wish to kill her?"

"We don't," the woman said softly. "We have no choice. Her blood will consecrate this world as our promised land."

Usagi opened her mouth to speak, but the woman leapt towards Heggith and a white light enveloped them both. In an instant, they were gone, just like Jorvist when he had escaped at Tokyo Tower.

_I'm going to die..._ It was hopeless! Usagi sank to her knees. The rain began to fall, and a warm liquid streamed down her face as a cold one from the heavens slammed into it, like tiny slaps to her face to let her know that her daughter would never even have a chance at life. "I'm going to die..." As she began to weep, he felt a familiar embrace from behind.

"Not as long as I draw breath," Mamoru whispered in her ear.

*.*.*

*.*.*

*.*.*

Author's notes... !

*.*.*

Some Sailor V Manga tie-ins. Expect more down the road. Sailor V is in English and both volumes are available for purchase at your local bookstore or online! Don't download it, though. CISPA will get you! Sailor Moon, Volume 10 comes out March 26th. A certain neglected character is on the cover. :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

_Keep On Movin'_

Usagi was cold to the touch but hardly even shivering when she arrived at her front door with her beloved, equally drenched Mamo-_chan_ loyally by her side. There were no friendly barbs from Usagi's father or smart aleck remarks from Shingo as she stumbled inside and trudged to the bath. After a few solemn words appraising the Tsukinos of Naru's condition and the brave young woman who had tried to intervene on her behalf, Mamoru was placed under house arrest and sentenced to sleep on the couch by his future mother-in-law. He quickly dried off and borrowed sleepwear from Kenji and was out before Ikoku poured cold water on Usagi's head in the bath to wake her up just long enough to dry off, get dressed and meander up to her room, totally oblivious that her fiancé was passed out on the couch.

While Usagi's dreams would be blissfully insignificant other than a bucktoothed vagrant trying to snatch her purple carrots, Mamoru would keep dreaming of Naru dying in his arms, his once powerful healing hands no more than intricate vice grips with opposable thumbs. He would hardly take notice of a sad faced drifter with buckteeth trying to console him with purple vegetables. As the nightmare replayed again and again, he would stare at his powerless dream hands and remember when he could heal with them, even when not transformed. Was he also tied to the weakened state of the Silver Crystal?

Later that evening while the purple carrot culprit leapt from dream to dream, Usagi's return trip from a bathroom visit ended when she stumbled into Shingo's room on accident and tripped over the bed that was on the wrong side of the room.

"Jesus," Shingo cried in surprise, causing Usagi to flail in panic as she was forced from semi-consciousness to full consciousness. What started out as one of her normally abnormal comic routines quickly became soured by a seriousness that normally skipped over her. She mumbled incoherently and cursed her brother as a demon, throwing imaginary things at him before the lines between semi-dream and full awareness bled away. "You back with us, _onee-san?_"

Usagi blinked her famous stupid blink, rivaled only by Tetsuya's blink that only Makoto had witnessed.

"I'll take that as a yes," Shingo said, lacking conviction in his voice.

"What?" Usagi mumbled in reply.

"You must've been sleep walking or something." Shingo stretched and walked over to her, offering her a hand. "C'mon."

With a quick tug, Usagi was back up on her feet. "Thanks, _ototoi_."

"Ami-_san's_ program must be magic. You've really slimmed down."

Usagi slouched as she was lead out of his room. "Ugh. Why can't you be nicer all the time?"

Shingo smiled his little _oni_ smile he had perfected over a lifetime of mischief with a poor older sister to practice it upon. "C'mon. I gotta keep you on your toes."

"I guess so."

"Turn the..."

_Thump!_

"... knob first..." Shingo helped Usagi up a second time and opened the door for her. "I'm not tucking you in."

"Wake me up?"

The smile returned. "You know I put my mini-fridge to good use! Best poor decision of my life so far!"

"You'll at least _try_ to wake me up normally, right?"

"_Oyasumi!_"

"_Oi!_" But it was too late as Shingo shut the door in her face. While the two had become more cordial after the whole Galaxia mess, they had also drifted apart. Then again, sacrificing time to do homework and study and actually sticking with a club rather than bolting when things didn't go perfectly the first try siphoned time she had spent playfully warring with her younger brother. Maybe they were growing apart. Maybe it couldn't be helped. Such was life...

*.*.*

While Tetsuya continued to recover and Minako, Usagi and Mamoru only began theirs, Makoto had fled in utter despair at the horrific news that her little man was also The Journeyman, and a key figure in the battles to come. Her one silver lining in a cloud of uncertainty was probably one of the most wanted men in Kurjangy space, or whatever they were called. As she bit back the tears of soul breaking disappointment, she couldn't ignore the question any longer. How the hell was she supposed to keep him safe if he was running head on towards powerful aliens who were trying to kill him?

The grim situation was a little more light-hearted for the other two reactivated Senshi, though. Rei had improved somewhat with the help of a few IVs and a few man made chemicals to speed up her recovery. If nothing else, they made her stomach incapable of throwing up for awhile. The news of Naru's survival also helped raise spirits a tad.

"You've been... working out?" Rei asked pathetically through a surgical mask as Ami piggybacked her the short quarter mile from the train station to the Shrine. Between her illness and her more hidden than healed injuries at the hands of Jorvist, she was conscious, but not really all there anymore due to the utter exhaustion. Ami was barely able to hear her over rain hitting the umbrella that was shielding the both of them.

Ami smiled and shook her head. Despite being slightly shorter, Rei was also slightly heavier than Tetsuya. While petite, she wasn't bony like he was, and the daily chores at the Shrine gave her a bit of a physique. But it wasn't an issue as Ami was a Sailor Senshi! Even unhenshined, she was stronger and faster than a normal human with the same physical characteristics as her. "I picked it back up again after your dream," she said.

"How is it?"

"Horrible." Ami's smile grew. "I hate running and jumping, doing squats and crunches." The smile became a grin, despite Rei's inability to see the expressions from her vantage point. Maybe she would see it in the reflection of the pavement. "Push-ups are the worst, especially after Usagi's death sprints. I feel like my head is going to burst from the pressure."

"You always did prefer... a nice, slow swim. Whoops..." A few drops of rain hit them both as Rei nearly dropped the umbrella shielding them from the elements. "Oh, _Gomenasai_, Ami-_chan!_"

"Do that again and I'll drop you," Ami said with a chuckle.

Rei giggled slightly. "And I thought I was the mean one... But if you hate it so much, why do you do it?"

"It's brutal, but it's fast. Even Usagi-_chan_ can steel herself for two fifteen minute intervals, and I'm always there with her." She grumbled and shook her head. "I _still_ can't believe she hit her goal before I did!"

"It's how... um... The Tortoise and the Hare would have ended. Like, if the hare hadn't been such a _baka usagi_. Or did you just underestimate her? _GAH!_"

Ami whirled ninety degrees to her right at the steps of the shrine, getting both of them pelted by another short blast of rain as the umbrella's coverage was temporarily disrupted, but it was worth it.

"Ugh..."

"You know, she gained almost twice as much weight as I did at the end of second year while Mamoru was in Australia."

Rei started snickering. "I know. I saw the picture. You weren't as noticeable, though."

"I swear, she could have been my classmate if she weren't so flighty. She's got the brains, she just didn't even start trying until high school."

"That was kinda on-_uhn_ of the thi-_ings_ that I re-_eaaally_... stop that!"

Ami obediently stopped adding a slight hop with each step she climbed and laughed at Rei's expense. "How's the anti-emetic holding up?"

"The what?"

"It's what they gave you to settle your stomach so you'd stop retching."

"Anti-enema? That word sounds made up, but you're the doctor."

Ami shook her head but decided not to correct Rei's slip of the tongue. "Soon enough. Keys?"

"_Hai_." Ami slowly swiveled around so Rei could unlock the door. Rei dug around for the key in her short shorts Makoto had hastily picked out for her while she was unconscious.

"C'mon, Rei-_chan_. How many places can a key hide in that?"

"Yeah, yeah. How's your hand?"

"I think I just over-tweaked it a bit. Fat has a tendency to resist a sudden change in direction."

"Thanks. That guy was a total creep. I can't stand drunks! But remember, that skirt of yours wasn't helping the situation... _Eh, nani_..." Rei turned the key, but no expected clicking sound could be heard. "Honestly, Minako-_chan_. You had one job to do. _One_ job!"

Ami stood for a moment. "Rei-_chan?_"

"_Hai?_"

"Please open the door."

"Oh, right..."

Ami stood for another moment. _Wow, she's really in sore shape._ "Close the umbrella, please."

"Oh, of course!" Rei fumbled with the umbrella and dropped it. "Oh..."

"Never mind." Ami walked through the door and gently closed it with her foot. "I'll be back for it after I put you to bed."

"Read me a story?"

They both chuckled. Ami tucked Rei in, retrieved the umbrella, and steeled herself for a confrontation with Tetsuya, or whatever his name was. His actions to save her and the others had been genuine and she respected his situation, but what he had done to Jorvist...

Ami took a calming breath before sliding open the door to the room she had left him in. The blood on the mat would have to be cleaned before Rei's grandfather and Yuuichirou returned on Sunday, although she assumed Luna could help with that. She was surprised to find Tetsuya curled up on the mat with Minako out on a chair, head lolling back in a ridiculous, open-mouthed pose. She managed a smile, wishing she had a camera. She walked over to Minako and tapped her forehead. Minako opened her eyes and Ami motioned with her head for them to go out of the room. Minako followed her to the study area.

"Any more news on Naru-_chan_," Ami asked softly.

Minako sat at the table and shook her head. "Nothing. Usagi went home for the night."

"Did she go into details about the Klijargans who recovered Vendeusi and Jorvist's bodies?"

She shook her head again. "Mamoru was the one who told me. All I know is that there were two of them and they recovered their comrade's remains. It was probably the last straw for Usagi after everything that's happened to her tonight."

"How's Tet... whatever his name really is."

Minako smiled a gentle, calming smile. "Unless he says otherwise, his name is Tetsuya, and he was pretty shaken when I told him our identities."

"Shaken?" Ami sat down across from Minako and leaned in. "What do you mean by that?"

"You're his friend, Mako-_chan_ is his girlfriend, and he seems very keen on protecting Usagi and Mamoru so he can be a groomsman at the wedding. It's a pretty powerful statement if you think about it, and his reaction wasn't too shocking, although it wasn't pretty, either."

"How did he react?"

Minako looked down and off to the side. "He started crying when I told him Usagi was Sailor Moon. The he became almost hostile when I told him about Mako-_chan_. That and what he did to Jorvist..." Minako looked back at Ami. "I mean, I think the bastard got better than what he deserved, but to actually _do_ that..." She sighed. "I think this is going from a romantic comedy to a tragic drama."

Ami pondered Minako's words for a moment. "Do you think he's unstable?"

She nodded again. "He wasn't faking it when he passed out after saving you or when he started babbling after seeing that poor girl get killed on the TV. He uses these things called... um... battle mantras. He chants them, and they can alter his mood or perception or whatever. Without them, he's pretty fragile. He came to Earth seeking refuge from the fighting, and it just followed him here and reared its ugly head right after he had made friends with us."

"You said he really cares."

Minako lowered her head and took a moment to respond. "He's like a lost, starving puppy dog given a meal and a warm bed by a friendly stranger. You adopted him into our circle of friends, and to him, that was a desperately sought after sign of acceptance. He's latched onto it as a ray of hope."

"I guess I understand why he lied, but I don't understand..."

"No." Minako snapped her head up and met Ami's gaze. "There is a lot you won't understand until you talk to him, and that's only if he wants to open up. He was threatened, abused and starved during his time with the Klijargans. You gotta walk on eggshells with him, Ami-_chan_. Unless the consensus is to cast him out for the greater good, we gotta tread lightly. He's not well, and although I can see why, it doesn't change the fact that a brutal race of aliens is trying to kill us. And at the very least, he has some idea of how they think. At worst..."

"We're not just going to cast him out if it comes to that."

"Not your call, Sailor Mercury."

"Let's talk about something else," Ami said softly, ignoring the urge to throw her transformation pen at Minako's face and tell her to fornicate off.

Minako nodded. "We're not gonna let it come to that, so it's moot. Um, you know, he probably stole everything he's ever gotten on Earth, or used stolen money to buy it."

Ami winced. "So I can't accept his present."

Minako frowned. "That is actually the last thing you should do. No matter how you try to dress it up, he will see it as a sign of rejection. While Mako-_chan's_ his girlfriend, you're the one who opened the door for him. A rejection like that would be, well, really, _really_ bad."

Ami tiled her head. "How bad could it be?"

Minako sighed. "He has control issues. The thing with Naru probably wasn't an isolated incident. It's like a fury takes possession of him and he's no longer the wiseass we all came to know as Umino 2.0."

Despite the weight of the conversation, Ami smirked. "Please don't call him that or Slouch to his face."

"Well, not yet." She shrugged. "He'd probably take Umino 2. pet name and probably wouldn't get too offended by Slouch if it was presented at the right time. He's fairly honest about stuff like that. I guess any lingering delusions of grandeur were snuffed out by what he's been through. No puns intended, he's a pretty down to earth kinda guy."

She smiled and stood up. "I think I need to go see Mako-_chan_."

"I think you should give her some space." As Ami nodded and continued towards the hall, Minako stood up. "Please." Ami continued walking. "Please? Ami-_chan_..."

"We must agree to disagree," she replied. Minako shrugged, hoping that she was the one who was wrong.

*.*.*

Author's Notes...

Chapter six'll be up tomorrow. I am so tired right now, but I am tired as an official CCENT. In five 1/2 days, I attempt to become a full blown CCNA, then take two days of leave to recouperate and get the ball rolling here again. Good night!


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

_Road Rash_

After her third _gomen kudasai_, Ami quickly defeated the cheap lock on Makoto's door with her seldom used credit card. Like most residents in that area of town, Makoto didn't have anything worth stealing. The lock was simply there to give the resident enough time to call police so they would know where to pick up a body before it stunk up the rest of the complex...

"I'm inside," Ami said. She forced herself to keep an even tone, although she wanted to scream at someone after he discussion with Minako. With the trains stopped for the night, she was cruelly deprived of an opportunity to righteously assault the next touchy-feely drunk who came onto her. The trip was still fairly quick as Sailor Mercury jumping over rooftops and sprinting between ally ways.

After no answer, Ami sighed. "I know you're in here. I see your shoes." She picked up Makoto's shoes. "I am holding your shoes and..." she threw them. "... throwing them..." _THUMP! THUMP!_ "... at your bedroom door."

Makoto's muffled response was not something one said in polite company, but it was exactly what Ami had _wanted_ to say to Minako earlier.

"You can hit me if you want," she said as she kept walking towards the bedroom door. "But I won't leave under my own power until we talk."

Silence was the reply.

Centuries later in her palace on Mercury's magically terraformed surface, she would still ponder why she had done what she did that night. She went to pull out her credit card again, but raised her leg up and snap-kicked the door open. "_Gomen kudasai!_"

Makoto hunched down and looked over her shoulder. She was faced away from the door and sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall and cradling something in her arms. Ami took a quick look at the nightstand and everything pieced itself together in the supercomputer she called her brain. "It wasn't locked..." Makoto murmured.

"C'mon."

Makoto looked away. "He must hate me."

Ami sat down on the floor at the entrance to the room. "Shinozaki or Tetsuya?"

"... Both."

"Shinozaki only wanted you to be happy."

"And that's why he must hate me for screwing it up again."

"You didn't screw anything up."

"Then it will be when Tetsuya finds out."

"He knows, and it's not a problem."

Makoto hit her head into the wall. "I should've been there for him."

"It was better this way."

Makoto gently placed Shinozaki's picture back on her nightstand and turned to face Ami. "How so?"

"He feels the same way about you. He had a fit, and I mean a _fit_, when he learned you were Sailor Jupiter. He's scared of losing you."

Makoto tried to muster a reply while ignoring the retaliatory wall banging from her neighbor. She simply curled up on her futon.

"It'll be okay, okay?"

"He fit so well as Slouch. Being The Journeyman screws up everything."

"That's how he feels, too. Us being the Sailor Senshi messed up everything with him as well."

Makoto remained motionless, staring at the opposite wall. "Now what do we do?"

"First, you get some sleep. Then, tomorrow..." Ami looked at her watch. "Then, later today, we move forward."

Makoto rolled over to face her, a slight smile trying to form on her face. "Thanks. How's your head?"

Ami knocked on the top of her head. "It's fine. Hitting a hollow cabinet just makes noise. It doesn't hurt."

She smiled slightly. "I guess I got a little carried away when I actually saw you kiss him..."

Ami winced and began to turn red. "It was the best I could come up with on the spot."

Makoto yawned and pulled up her blanket. "There's another futon in the closet. It's late."

Ami shook her head. "The others wouldn't shut up about it if I stayed the night with..."

Ami's words were cut off as she was knocked to the ground from her sitting position by a flying, misshaped pillow that was probably as old as Makoto's tenure at the place. "It was _just_ a phase, and it was only with Haruka when I found out she wasn't a boy!"

"If you say so," Ami replied as she hopped to her feet and closed the door that was so misaligned that it hadn't even broken after being kicked open. She checked to make sure Makoto's less than adequate lock was still, for lack of a better word, locked, and hurried down ten flights of stairs. Ducking into the nearest ally way, she henshined and sped through Juuban towards her empty home. She smiled, knowing why it was empty. _Because its other hero is also out and about, too._

*.*.*

Ami unceremoniously stripped, rinsed and collapsed onto her futon, unable to appreciate her dreamless sleep, as it was dreamless. She woke up later as the sun came up. She stopped putting on her school uniform when she remembered that Saturday classes had been cancelled that week due to scheduled maintenance on the pipes. She slipped into something a bit less figure fitting and a bit more conservative, as the last time she had seen Tetsuya as Ami Mizuno, she was in her underwear and pretending to be drunk while kissing him smack dab on the lips.

Minako had been snatched back into the waking world Rei begged her via communicator to help her to the bathroom. Tetsuya had remained in almost the same spot, sound asleep. Minako silently hoped he hadn't messed himself after all the food and water he had stuffed down his throat to aid his unusual healing process.

Rei looked as bad as she felt. Not only was she sore as all hell and barely able to move, but her eyes were bloodshot from the incessant retching. Due to the pain in her overworked abs that had gone above and beyond the call of duty expelling anything that was in her stomach, she resumed sleeping on the couch in the study room, knowing it wouldn't be long before the other Senshi began barging in for official business with the new guy. At least she was closer to the bathroom...

Makoto begrudgingly pulled herself away from her dreams at Ami's behest and got dressed for the day. She threw on something as unflattering as Ami's conservative get up and the two had matching make-up as they weren't wearing any. After a slight delay for Makoto to treat Ami to a fresh cooked breakfast, they two set off to the Hikawa Shrine, neither one of them too excited about having to confront the whole Tetsuya-Journeyman-headless Jorvist issue.

Usagi was once again yanked back into the real world by cold water and the ambient sound of a screaming alarm clock. Although Naru had come out of surgery, she was still recovering and not accepting visitors that morning. Since Juuban Junior High didn't have pipes that needed repairs, Shingo hurried off to half a day of class while Usagi stumbled downstairs and tripped over her own feet at the shock of seeing Mamoru sleeping on their couch.

Without any further theatrics, or at least none really worth mentioning, the two got ready for the day and headed to the Hikawa Shrine. Usagi and Mamoru helped themselves in while Minako and Rei argued over who was screwing up breakfast more as Tetsuya had devoured just about everything that didn't need to be prepared. Mamoru slid open the door and peeked in, giving Usagi a thumbs up to enter.

"That better not be Australian," she mused as she entered Tetsuya's room.

*.*.*

_Hey._

It was a soft whisper with a gentle shake.

_Heeeeyyy..._

"Makoto..."

*.*.*

Tetsuya opened his eyes and saw a blue-eyed blonde looking down at him. "Oh," he mumbled. "Hey, Minako-chan."

"_Eeeeerrrrrr!_"

Tetsuya jumped at the sound she made, jerking his injured arm. It was sore as all hell, but the bones were healing nicely. Nice healing or not, it hurt. "Goddammit, Usagi!" He wiped his eyes with his good arm and sat up. He froze when saw that Mamoru was there as well. "Oh..." He took a moment to look back at Usagi, then Mamoru again, then remembered everything that had happened and what was likely about to happen. "Ohhh..."

"Yup," Mamoru replied. "It's like that."

"If you're feeling up to it," Usagi said as she sat across from Tetsuya, "we'd like to ask you just a few simple questions."

He looked at her, then at Mamoru who was keeping his expression neutral. Usagi, on the other hand, had the look of a kid about to ask about what kind of puppies she could hold at the pet store. "Sure."

Usagi pursed her lips in thought as she struggled with the words, yet another futile struggle. "So, um, like... who are you?"

Tetsuya tried to keep his expression neutral like Mamoru, but ended up flexing various facial muscles like Usagi had as he began to articulate his response. It was an equally futile effort. "That's really not a simple question."

"Well, what's your name? Like, your real name?"

Tetsuya shook his head and gave a silent huff of a laugh that was more out of frustration than humor. "It's not that simple..."

Usagi cocked an eyebrow. "How is your name not simple? Unless you're meeting someone famous, it's the _most_ easiest thing to remember!"

Tetsuya shrugged. "I... I want to be Tetsuya Journey. That was all I ever wanted. To just fade into the background and live my own life. Even if it's another lie, it's _my_ lie."

Usagi returned her head to a normal angle. "What about your past?"

Tetsuya looked away, scowling at the wall that had done nothing deserving of a scowl. "What about it?"

"Um... the..."

"Perhaps another time," Mamoru interjected as Usagi's facial expressions aided her brain's thought process.

"Another time sounds good," Tetsuya said.

Usagi frowned, mostly oblivious to how uncomfortable she was making him. "Well, why are you fighting with us?"

Tetsuya closed his eyes and slowly shook his head. "It's not like I have much choice. My friends just happen to be in their cross hairs."

"What do you mean?"

Tetsuya opened his eyes and looked at her. After a quick glance at Mamoru, he looked back at her again, not hiding the indignation of her follow-up question. "Isn't it obvious? I'm fighting for you! _All_ of you! You're going to have his children! Ami's going to become a doctor. Makoto's going to become a famous chef. Rei's going to live forever once she learns to suck out people's life forces and Minako's going to be an entertainer." He glanced back at Mamoru again. "And I want to be there for it all. All of you are all that I have. Even before they came here and ruined everything, you all let me in to your little corner on this giant planet."

Mamoru kept his expression neutral but nodded in what seemed to be approval. Usagi smiled slightly. "Well, that's good to hear."

"Anything else?"

"What can you tell us about the Klijargans?"

"They're good people deep down."

Usagi smiled softly and put a hand on his shoulder. "You think?"

Tetsuya realized that the Japanese tended to cremate their dead while Aschothyilis buried theirs. "_Deep_ in the ground."

Usagi looked off to the side as she tried to understand what he meant. "So they're better off underground? Like dwarves?"

"He means buried," Mamoru said softly as Usagi made one of her ridiculous 'I get it finally' expressions. "Maybe we should let him rest."

"That's a good idea," Tetsuya said, a bit of uneveness in his voice. "I'm sorry, but, everything's still so fresh in my mind. Whenever I talk about it, I have to think about it and relive it. It was hard enough the first time."

Usagi frowned and looked back at Mamoru. "Can we have a moment alone, please?"

Mamoru slid the door shut after giving a piecing 'don't try anything' glare at Tetsuya. Usagi shook her head.

"He's like that because he loves you," Tetsuya said.

Usagi sat down right next to Tetsuya on his futon.

"Uh..."

"Please just let me speak," she said, looking straight ahead towards the door. She didn't have the time or the willpower to deal with personal space issues.

"Okay."

"I'm sorry about prying. I didn't mean to upset you. And obviously, thanks for saving our lives. Naru-_chan's_ been my best friend ever since my first day of school. I understand why you stabbed him in the back..."

"I ran him through from the front."

Usagi looked at Tetsuya. "Ami-_chan_ said the way the blood..."

"I yanked the blade back. That's what caused the spray. It looks like he was stabbed in the back at first glance."

"And did his head just happen to fall off on its own?"

Tetsuya opened his mouth to speak, but words failed him yet again.

"It wouldn't be so much of a problem if you weren't also our friend. We can't just look at you and not see you as a killer masquerading as a noble defender. The young man who showed Mako-_chan_ how to love again, the courageous brawler who saved all of us, and the despicable coward who mutilated a fallen foe are all one and the same."

"He had it coming," Tetsuya snarled.

Usagi held the stare as she shook her head. "All you did was sink down to his level. What did it change? Did it bring back Omi-_chan?_ Did it heal Naru-_chan?_ Or did it just make you feel strong, dismembering a fallen opponent?"

Tetsuya looked away from her and said nothing.

"Jorvist made me lose one friend already. I don't want to lose you as well, but I won't tolerate that kind of conduct."

Tetsuya looked back at her again, but again said nothing.

"Right now, you're not even getting an invitation to my wedding. Minako-_chan_ told me about that. It's a nice gesture, but it's empty."

Tetsuya breathed in a deep breath before speaking softly, but soft was only a quality that could be applied to the volume of speech. "It... is... _not..._ empty!"

Usagi shook her head. "Then it is meaningless. I don't know what you've been through, or what happened to you before you came to Earth, but if you want to be a part of this family..."

Tetsuya stood up and leaned against the wall. "And who the hell are you to tell me what I can and can't do on this world?"

Usagi thought for a moment. She probably wouldn't improve the situation any by boasting about her pending ascension to Queen of Crystal Tokyo. Maybe silence was the best course.

"Just remember that when the next fight comes, a Klijargan's dying words have the potential to be a killing spell. Until the life flows from their eyes, keep striking."

Usagi stood up and was face to face with him. "Was he trying to kill you after he was mortally wounded?"

Tetsuya hesitated for a moment before looking down. "No."

"Was it really necessary?"

"You don't know what..."

"Was it necessary, Tetsuya-_kun?_"

"I'm... sorry. It's the only way I've ever known to fight. Take what you can before someone else does, and run before they catch you."

Usagi placed her hand on his shoulder. "Are you willing to learn?"

Tetusya looked up and slightly lifted his head. "Yes."

"Alright." She tried to pull him in for a hug but he shrugged her off.

"It isn't just going to happen overnight. Believe it or not, but my mother was able to teach me the mainstream universal theory of right and wrong before she died. I know it, but I'm not used to living a life where I can actually live by those rules. I'm so used to having to lie and steal and hide. My time with the Klijargans only made it worse."

Usagi crossed her arms. "Tetsuya, we can be patient with the lies and the stealing for now. But I need a perfect one-eighty from you on the field of battle. If you have to deliver a killing blow because there is no way, then I understand. Both of our hands are already stained. But I can't just stand by idly if you allow yourself to become a monster!"

Tetsuya sneered at being called a monster. Apparently that term had some meaning to him. "I lost control. It wasn't a decision."

Usagi put her arms down, but after a moment of thought, crossed them again. _Checked matey, my friend._ "The decision was being fine with it after the fact. Losing yourself in battle is one thing, but shrugging the aftermath off is where you only empower the fury." She put her hands on Tetsuya's shoulder, grabbing on gently in case he tried to shrug her off again. She bored into him with her crystal blue eyes. "Hatred is a fire. It will consume you if you surrender to its madness. It will destroy you and leave a shell that won't even need a state of fury to turn on me and the others. Your soul will never heal unless you extinguish the fires, and you will never extinguish the fires if you don't even try."

The traces of anger and indignation melted away from his face, leaving a look of bewildered confusion.

Usagi released her soft grip and walked out. "I've given you a lot to think about. I'll see you at school on Monday." Without another word or glancing back, she slid the door shut. _I've done everything I could. The rest is up to you, Slouch._

Mamoru nodded to her and walked with her. Half way down the steps, her watch beeped a once familiar beep. _It's her!_ She grinned from ear to ear as she answered the communicator. _Finally, news at last!_ "Setsuna-_san!_"

*.*.*

Authors notes

*.*.*

I am mentally gassed, and it's having a physical toll that sleep alone can't compensate for. I never got a breather between the accident, the deployment spin-up and CCNA training. The tripe I put up last night was barely even beta. This chapter isn't polished, but I am a bit more satisfied with some of the dialogue and a bit more of 'show, don't tell'.

It's hard to remember how people talk or approach things when there's six main canon characters to deal with, but it's a challenge and it forces me to make myself a better writer. Of course, last chapter is a good example of how it's an imperfect policy that all comes down to if I am willing to budget the time needed to continue this.

The chapter's name is a reference to Usagi thinking about how you could either get dragged kicking and screaming as life went on, or you could cry while keeping pace on your feet. When you fall off of a moving motorcycle, your momentum drags you like an invisible hand, and the scraping that can occur is sometimes known as road rash. Tetsuya claims to be moving on and wanting to move on, but his fears and doubts are keeping him on the ground as life moves forward and the time streams drag him along.

Also, shooting at a target two feet in front of you with a side draw is scary, and seeing what I'm doing to a target that's 2-10 feet away from me really gives a haunting perspective of what I potentially got myself into when I re-upped four years ago...

Ugh... PT then more CCNA study tomorrow. Don't expect another chapter until Wednesday night. Goodnight everyone, and as always, thanks for reading my stuff!


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

_It's Like They Never Left..._

"Oh..." Usagi mumbled through the communicator, her odd facial expressions perfectly conveying her awkward confusion through the low resolution. "Ah, yeah... the... um... ring… chime... and..."

"It's good to see you too," Haruka sighed as she retied her sandy blonde hair into a ponytail. It had grown out in the many months she had been too busy to go to a barber or a salon. Despite the length and slight curl to it, she still was able to wear it in a masculine style. Unless, of course, the current mission dictated otherwise…

"_H-hai_, Haruka-_san!_ Welcome back from Europe!"

"We were in Hawai'i."

"Oh! Did you see Hotaru there? How is she?"

Haruka shook her head. Usagi was visibly even more of a woman and less of a girl, but she still had the same dizziness that had endeared her to Haruka. "Hotaru is in Europe with her father. We haven't seen her in over a year."

Usagi winced. "Oh... no Setsuna sightings, either?"

Haruka shook her head.

"So, you _are_ back in Japan, right?"

Haruka nodded. "We kept our spare communicators here just in case something happened to our possessions."

"Did you guys get robbed?"

She shook her head again. "Nope. Been busy."

Usagi blushed.

"Not _that_ kind of busy... much... Anyways! No. The world hasn't exactly been demon free after Chaos. Hawai'i was as much business as it was pleasure for us."

"I wish," Michiru mumbled as she kept digging through Haruka's mess. Michiru had been as busy as Haruka, and her wavy, sea green hair almost had reached the small of her back. It was frizzed at the moment, very uncharacteristic of her.

"Such is life."

"Oh!" Usagi smiled her famous 'I think I might have a clue what's going on' smile. "They were both damaged in battle!"

"Yup. They saved our lives. The ghost we were hunting thought it best to take them out when it ambushed us so we couldn't call for help. Had he simply gone for a killing strike, it would've been the end for us. Instead, we both came out with just a scratch after transforming."

"We got drunk and went skinny dipping," Michiru interjected. "Then you foolishly threw our watches into deep water. What were you thinking trying to keep up with that Austrian? There's a difference between water resistant and waterproof and… _here_ it is!"

Haruka scowled into Michiru's communicator, quickly ending Usagi's giggles.

"And... it doesn't work." Michiru sighed audibly. "These things do require batteries if they're not being recharged by light."

"You were drinking with an Australian girl?" Usagi asked. "Like, where kangaroos come from?"

Michiru peered at Usagi's tiny visage with her deep blue eyes, the same color as Haruka's. "It was a guy. I think Haruka even said he was cute. She must be a closet bi."

"Did he have a boomerang?"

Michiru shook her head. It wasn't her responsibility to educate Usagi about the differences between Austria and Australia. "No, he didn't."

"Uh, I don't remember _any_ of this," Haruka interjected.

"I know." She looked back at Usagi's image. "The watches were destroyed by the ghost, but they were already broken. So, how's life been for you?"

"Oh," Usagi said. "Well..."

"That's great! Give us the details later. Do you know who Journeyman is?"

"Michi..." Haruka started.

"He's recovering at Rei's…" Usagi volunteered just before making her 'I shouldn't have said that' face.

"Bye," Michiru said with an obscene amount of sticky-sweetness in her voice.

"Ow!" Haruka grimaced in pain after Michiru slapped the watch to turn it off.

"Shrine. Now!"

"That was rude," Haruka chided as she followed Michiru out of their house and to her beloved 1968 Toyota 2000GT convertible.

"We've had four hours of no-quality sleep in the last three days, we've eaten twice in that time span, and after an entire year," Michiru yanked her seatbelt and buckled up, "our princess is _still_ an idiot!"

Haruka jumped over the door and slid into the driver's seat. "Look, babe." The engine roared to life. "We'll talk to this Journeyman fellow, see what his angle is, get a nice meal delivered to the house, wash off and pass out." She reached over and took Michiru's hand in hers. "In our own bed."

Michiru sighed as the car screeched onto the streets of Juuban, a look of genuine frustration in her eyes. "Why are our cycles perfectly opposite..."

"Well, that explains..."

"Stow it!"

Haruka normally knew when not to push Michiru's buttons, but after three exhausting days of frantically trying to rebook their tickets to get back to Japan with redirects and layovers in Guam, Manila, Seoul, Singapore, and finally, Okinawa, with all flights giving useless vouchers on future flights instead of actual meals, Haruka was hardly even safe to drive, let alone know how far to tease her life mate. But the outburst from Michiru made it perfectly clear. Haruka obediently stowed it, and focused on the road.

*.*.*

Naru smiled weakly at Usagi as she and Mamoru entered her room at the hospital. "Close... the door..." she whispered. "Just you."

Usagi closed the door, then opened it so Mamoru could leave the two alone. As she walked over to her friend, Mamoru quietly closed the door for her.

"Thank you... for saving me..." she said. Her eyes were unfocused and her face was flush, side effects of the painkillers. She was recovering from a life saving operation, and once she was in stable condition, a second operation attempting to repair the damage to her knee would also be performed. Obviously, she was doped up to deal with the pain, and had no idea what she was talking about.

"Um, you're welcome," Usagi replied. "I'm always there for you, the way you've always been there for me since kindergarten. Even if I'm not there in spirit, I'm there in body. No, wait... other way around."

Naru giggled weakly. "No, silly. I... know your secret, now."

Usagi said nothing. An unnatural calmness fell over her, giving her the presence of mind to put on a very convincing look of confusion. "My secret?"

"You... always guided Sailor Moon... to me when the strange things... started happening. Second year... Junior High. So long ago... and she made you Sailor Venus."

"Wow... that's some pretty good stuff you're on."

The smile died slightly and Naru raised a fist with her middle finger extended. Unbeknownst to her, Usagi thought Naru was merely pointing at herself, oblivious to the gesture of shooting the bird. "Fine. Be that way..."

"Naru-_chan_, you're confused."

Naru put away the obscene gesture. "Then I guess... I'm gonna be confused... for awhile. Stay safe. I need you... to be alive. You're the... maid of honor."

"Right back at you."

"Buzz off." With a final, weak smile, Naru closed her eyes.

The calmness left, and Usagi stared in awkward silence. After a moment, she bowed and silently exited the room, never realizing that bowing was a futile gesture when aimed at a person who was already unconscious.

"What's up," Mamoru asked softly.

Usagi looked around the hallway to make sure no one was within earshot. Such sloppiness had been what gave her secret identity away to Nephrite. She sat down next to him and whispered. "Naru thinks I'm Sailor Venus. She got kinda mad when I tried to play it off."

"Well," he whispered back, "it's easy for others to confuse the two of you. Especially that one time..."

_GRAOUGLERUMBLUR!_

Several heads peeked through doorways and corridors.

"It must be lunch time," Usagi said with a nervous laugh. After a moment, the peeking heads went back about their business.

"C'mon. We'll get something from the Royal Grill." The Fruits Parlor Crown had revamped its image, becoming more of an American fifties diner, eventually changing its name after getting a grill. To the joy of the long-term patrons, not a single old item had been removed from the new menu.

Usagi's fake smile faded as she remembered the young woman who had been murdered on live television outside of the plaza where the best man for their wedding worked. "I guess so. Might as well face it."

Mamoru stood up and offered his hand to her. With a gentle tug, Usagi was on her feet. She reached for Mamoru's hand, but felt his arm gently take her by the waist, pulling her in nice and snug. A genuine smile crept on her face. In spite of everything that was going on, for that brief moment, as he held her close to him, everything was perfect. Nothing could harm her as long as she was with her Mamo-_chan_.

As soon as the two got outside, Usagi skipped ahead of Mamoru towards her pink scooter, an eighteenth birthday present, when her communicator chimed again. Usagi waited until she saw who was on the communicator before greeting them. "_Hai_, Haruka-_san!_"

"Get to the Crown in half an hour and come alone. Meet us at the Grill." She winked before disconnecting on her end.

"Uh… okay…" She winked at Mamoru, who had been delayed as he once again was helping a confused tourist with his mastery of the English language. "Sorry. Rain check. Girl stuff!" And before Mamoru could muster a reply, her scooter sputtered to life and slowly sped her off.

*.*.*

"Be nice," Minako said as Ami and Makoto walked into the room.

"Huh?" both Ami and Makoto replied in unison.

"Usagi laid into him a bit, so he's been put on notice. He knows how we feel about things and is adjusting to doing things our way. So, if you're not going to be nice to him, there's no need for you to talk to him."

"We'll be nice," Ami promised as Makoto shrugged and started walking towards where Tetsuya was quickly recovering.

Minako took another bite of toast. "That includes how you wake him up."

Makoto peeked back around the corner. "What?"

"No loud or obnoxious noises until he's fully awake. If he jerks around because he's been surprised, it'll aggravate his injury."

"Loud, obnoxious..." Makoto started.

"Usagi-_chan_," Ami said as she bowed to Minako.

"Oh," Makoto said, giving a quick bow as well. The two quietly walked down the hallway until Makoto whirled around, knocking Ami to the ground.

"_Oof!_"

"_Gomen_."

"Why... _oi!_" Ami was yanked back to her feet. "Why did you do that?"

Makoto looked back at the door to Tetsuya's room. "I... I don't want to do this right now."

"Too bad." Ami shoved Makoto, causing her to stumble backwards. As she regained her balance, Ami had advanced, and was right up to her. "This is happening, and it's happening now. You're going to go in there and tell him that you love him."

Makoto stood still.

"You still love him, right?"

Makoto scowled. "What kind of a question is that?"

"A direct and blatant one that doesn't waste time with tact or courtesies." Ami kept her expression neutral with her hands at her side. Makoto knew that in an instant, they could push her a couple paces closer to the door to Tetsuya's room.

The scowl turned into a smile. "I kinda like the new and improved Ami-_chan_. Alright, let's do this."

Ami smiled and nodded. After a moment, the smiled started to fade. "Mako-_chan_, turn around, walk to the door, and knock."

Makoto's smile faded as well. "Ugh..." She turned around, walked to the door, and held her hand up. After another moment, Ami gently grabbed her wrist and knocked her hand onto the door.

"_Hai?_" Tetsuya said from inside.

Another pause.

"Honestly," Ami whispered as she pulled open the door.

"Oh," Tetsuya said with a smile as he sat up. "Hey, Mako-_chan!_ Ami-_chan!_ How's the hangover?"

Ami rolled her eyes as Makoto giggled. "Yeah," Makoto said softly. "So, um..."

"C'mon in."

"Nah, that's alright."

"Mako-_chan?_" Ami asked.

"What's up?" Tetsuya inquired.

"Oh," Makoto continued. "Well, you know... we're..." her lip quivered slightly as her voice became shaky. "We're gonna... be busy... and... um..." She shook her head and wiped away the tears that were welling up. "We can't be together right now."

"What?!" Ami and Tetsuya said in unison.

"Sorry. I'm really, really sorry. When this is all over... and... yeah. Just, thank you for everything."

"Wait..." Tetsuya said as Makoto left the room, Ami trailing her.

Ami hurried after Makoto, catching up with her at the street corner heading towards the train station. "What the hell!"

"I can't do this," she whimpered as a car screeched to a halt somewhere nearby. Naturally, they both ignored the commotion, too lost in what was going on between them. "I lost Shinozaki, I can't lose another one."

"So you're just going to push him away? Is that how you're going to solve your problems?"

"Back off, Ami."

Ami opened her mouth, but quickly shut it, taking a second to recompose herself. "Alright, Mako-_chan_."

"I'll see you at school." Without another word, she hurried away from the Shrine, leaving Ami to do damage control.

The Senshi of Ice sighed as she walked past a familiar looking car that didn't register in her distracted mind, and back up the steps towards the living area of the Shrine. "Good 'ol Ami-_chan_," she muttered to herself. "Always the calm one. Always the voice of logic and reason. Always the one cleaning up other people's messes. That's good 'ol Ami-_chan_." Oddly, she smiled. The whole world was in danger, and the only Senshi having luck in their love lives were Rei and Usagi. Other than Rei actually realizing it finally, everything was back to normal.

Ami entered the living area, rounded the corner, and saw Michiru standing in the doorway of Tetsuya's room. _What the..._ Michiru had her forehead in her palm. Ami didn't bother with saying hello after seeing her for the first time in over a year, and peered into the room. "Back to normal..." Sailor Uranus was standing over Tetsuya, who was on his side and holding his stomach. The 'what did I just do' look on Haruka's face told Ami everything she needed to know.

"Let me guess," Ami started. "You came in here demanding answers, Journeyman got mad, insulted her," she pointed at Michiru, "and you," she pointed at Sailor Uranus, "decided to do something about it. Am I missing anything?"

"No," Tetsuya moaned.

"I'm sorry," Sailor Uranus said softly.

"Me too... I'll never do it again..."

"I'm not," Michiru mused. "Not a very nice thing to call a lady."

"A... _ugh_... thousand pardons."

"It doesn't excuse my actions," Haruka said and she powered down.

Michiru winked at her. "But it shows you still care."

"Get out," Ami said evenly. "Now."

"Feel free to..." Michiru started as she took a step towards Ami.

"Let's just go," Haruka said. "Please?"

"Are you really a _girl_," Tetsuya asked weakly.

"Yes, and I am really, really sorry about this." She kneeled down next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You're not crying just because I hit you, are you?"

"I'll take it from here," Ami said as she kneeled down on his other side.

"If you insist," Michiru mused.

Haruka walked out of the room after her. "I wish we were reuniting under better circumstances."

"After what happened last time," Ami said with an icy smile, "I think this is one of the better possibilities forcing our reunion."

Haruka nodded and slid the door shut.

"That was so stupid of me," Tetsuya said as he sat up and wiped his eyes. "I shouldn't have called her that."

"We'll worry about it later," Ami replied. "You gonna be okay?"

"How could she just do that to me?!"

"She's very protective of Michiru."

"No, Mako-_chan._ _My_ Mako-_chan!_"

"She's just... it's not a good time for her."

Tetsuya looked at Ami, a hint of despair creeping into his gaze. "Not a good time?"

Ami shook her head and sat down next to him. "She just needs some time to think things through."

"And how much time does she need?"

Ami put her head in her hand. "Seriously, Tetsuya. It doesn't work like that! I thought you knew a bit more about girls than that!"

"Not the emotional side," he sighed. He took a few calming breaths before continuing. "What if she doesn't come around? What if I've already lost her?"

"Tetsuya, you're both seventeen. If it doesn't work out, then you both have the rest of your lives to find your one true love."

"But… I… I don't even want to think of that possibility."

Ami arched an eyebrow. "And I thought _she_ was the one who fell hard in love."

"She gave me the courage to be honest with myself and actually _say_ it. I told her that I loved her, and I meant it. She wasn't just a convenience to me. She's a friend. I don't want to lose that."

"Look. Worst thing that'll happen is that it'll be awkward for a few weeks, and then you'll both get over it and still be close friends. I mean, we're all comrades in arms, here. We forgive quickly and we don't hold grudges."

Tetsuya shook his head. "Come on. It never works like that. Ex couples don't just become good friends."

Ami gave him an uncharacteristic lopsided grin. "_Mahou shoujo_."

After a moment, Tetsuya smiled. "Yeah, I guess it makes sense now…" The was definitely something magical about them. And then, the smile faded. "Wait… are you trying to tell me that it's already over between us?"

Ami frowned. "Have a _little_ faith! Mako-_chan_ really does need some time to digest everything that's happened. And I think it's obvious that she's not exactly the brightest crayon in the box, so she needs a little time. If I had to bet, I'd bet that the two of you would be back to normal by lunchtime on Monday. She's not _that_ slow, and she's not just gonna cast you to the wind."

"You really think so?"

Ami smiled and ruffled his short hair. "It'll be okay, _okay?_ Sheesh!"

Ami's watch started beeping, and a moment later, Minako came flying into the room.

*.*.*

_You really are the doorknob of the group._ Makoto hung her head as she continued to walk away from the Shrine. She blew it. She _always_ blew it. And Tetsuya was just as stupid as she was for putting up with it! But she knew better, now. She realized it as she walked away from fate's handout.

Shinozaki never really loved her, the way she loved him. He felt sorry for her. He knew she was a hulking giant who foolishly wanted to be graceful and feminine. She was talented at cooking and reading through Ami's facades, but other than that, her intellect was sub par.

Tetsuya, on the other hand, was smart and clever. He caught onto things quickly, and he thought outside of the box. The way he had engaged Usagi while teaching her vectors and turned it into a game for her without belittling her or making her ashamed of her childish ways, it was spectacular! And soon, he'd realize that she was no good for him, and move on. Maybe even hook with Ami, finally. _Might as well face the inevitable._

Her unrelenting flagellation of self-doubt was interrupted by her watch as it went from a digital display to a tiny picture of Rei's face.

*.*.*

"Three chocolate shakes, please." Haruka smiled at the redheaded waitress, sending a slight pang of jealousy through Michiru. Haruka often got a kick out of teasing the Goddess of the Sea. "She's cute, _ne?_"

"Hmmm…" she mused. "And I thought you had a thing for hairy Aussie boys. Ones with… _boomerangs_ in their Speedos?"

Haruka smiled. "Yeah. That's our silly princess. But, really, he just had nice, gentle eyes. That, and he paid our tab."

"He had _wandering_ eyes."

"But not hands."

Michiru arched an eyebrow. "Not that you remember."

Haruka's smile died. "Wait… what? You're joking… You _are_ joking! Don't do stuff like that to me after a blackout!"

"Don't give me the opportunity. I don't like you when you're that drunk. Now, let's get to business. She's here."

Haruka looked around. "Where?"

"You didn't hear it? A dying scooter?"

"Oh, right. I thought a motorcycle was begging to be euthanized…"

"I don't trust him."

_Straight to the point. I like that. _Haruka leaned in. "Obviously. I don't trust him, either. Some kid just shows up, befriends the princess and her guardians, and he just happens to be the Journeyman? He's hiding _something_."

"And you seemed so sincere when you apologized to him."

Haruka winced at the reminder. "Yeah. I'm not too proud of that outburst. Transforming and assaulting a crippled opponent over words…"

Michiru caressed Haruka's face. "As I said earlier, I'm not sorry about it."

"Hey," Usagi said as she showed up behind Haruka, carrying a pink helmet. "Don't make me call the fire department!"

"You mean get a fire hose," Haruka asked as she scooted around the table next to her girlfriend, allowing Usagi to sit at the round booth.

"I'm really not good at those sayings. So, what can I treat you two for?"

"Oh," Michiru said smiling. "We already ordered a round of chocolate shakes, but if you want to get the tab, that's fine by us."

"_Hai!_ I haven't really had time to even spend my allowance, lately, and it just kept piling up." She beamed a smile. "Yay! Chocolate shake!" She sniffed. "Nice fragrances, but a little bit much."

"We haven't bathed in three days."

Usagi cringed. "Oh."

After the redheaded waitress, who turned out to be Furuhata Unazuki, delivered the shakes, Michiru flicked her delicate hand in a circle and snapped her fingers. The noise of the restaurant quickly ebbed away.

"How did you…" Usagi started.

"Tell us about Journeyman," she said.

Usagi pouted. "Geeze, aren't we down to business. Well, what do you want to know about him?"

"Who is he?"

Usagi sat for a moment, as if wondering if she should talk or not. "Alright. I don't want anymore of this cloak and dagger stuff between us. If you're in, you're in. If not, go back to Europe."

Michiru couldn't stop from smirking while Haruka laughed.

"Hawai'i. Never mind. Anyways, he claims to be from a planet called Ass… um… something that starts with Assy or Asso. I dunno. He says that after he was captured, he traveled with the Klijargans for two years, and when the chance came, he fled."

Usagi went into the details, to the best of her ability, of what she knew about Journeyman's strange copycat abilities, as well as his desire to live in peace. Michiru showed no emotion, but Haruka was definitely suspicious. But she just couldn't see a valid counter argument. She didn't know enough! It wasn't evidence, but rather, a _lack_ of evidence that painted Journeyman as a good intentioned refugee who just happened to befriend the Sailor Senshi.

_But all he had to do was kill them to steal their powers forever, and yet he stayed his hand… There's something much deeper to his ruse, but what?_ A look of frustration spread across her face as the lack of facts created a web of possibilities.

"Haruka," Michiru said, "are you all right?"

"Huh?" She replied. "Oh, I was just deep in thought."

Usagi hardened her gaze. "You still don't trust him. Geeze, Haruka! You weren't there when he saved us! You're just as paranoid as ever!"

"And you're a trusting fool, hon. Look, I don't know his motives, and neither do you."

"His motives are to make Earth his home and fade into the background to live his life."

"And I'm a…" Haruka sighed. "Whatever. I'll go along with him as an ally for now, but my duty is your protection, no matter what."

"Fine. Do your duty, but make sure you don't let your mistrust get in your way."

"Usagi, I'm just looking for the truth…"

"You refuse to see the truth that's right in front of you! I know I'm trusting and look for the good in the most evil of people, but I haven't forgotten the painful lessons I learned as I watched all of you die because of my failures. I'm stronger, and while I might not seem like it, I am wiser."

Michiru smiled as she took another sip of her shake, silently enjoying the show.

_You always did like dramas, my love_. "Tetsuya might be what you claim he is, or he might be a highly skilled double agent, or something completely different. Please, Usagi-_sama_, help me. Help me, help _you_. The truth is for the best. I want to believe Tetsuya, I really do…"

"Now _I'm_ the suspicious one," Usagi replied, keeping her expression neutral.

"Princess, I need to know for sure! As unlikely as it seems to me that Tetsuya is truly a heart-felt ally to us, I won't let my assumptions hinder my job or cloud my judgments. Who should I speak to for the most honest input?"

"Ami-_chan_."

"She's infatuated with him," Michiru said softly. "He saved her life, and she isn't exactly doing well with Ryo, if my guess is right." She smiled a less than kind smile. "She's setting her standards rather low, though…"

Usagi scowled. "He's not… well… there's more to a boy than his looks…"

"Says the girl who's engaged to a model."

Usagi shook her head. "Fine. Naru-_chan_. She saw how it ended. All Tetsuya had to do was start slashing at us. He would've absorbed all of our powers forever. And even all four of the Outer Senshi would have a hard time stopping him, then." Usagi motioned to herself. "I'm still alive. We all are. He's not the bad guy, you noodle brains!"

Michiru shrugged.

Haruka smiled. "I look forward to putting my foot in my mouth when Tetsuya proves me to be a noodle brain, I really do. What's his family name?"

"Journey," Michiru said. "You really aren't doing your homework, my love. He's a transfer student from Narashino, although that is now obviously a fabrication."

"Journey." Haruka nodded to Usagi. "That can't be his real name."

"It's not his birth name," Usagi said after swallowing another gulp of her shake, "but he's Tetsuya Journey now. That's all he wants."

"What is his birth name?"

"He hasn't said. He gets really sad and angry whenever anyone wants to ask him about his past." Usagi put her hand up to cut Haruka off. "Maybe he's actually a fugitive, but we don't have any extra addition claws with Klijarga, so if he behaves himself, he's under my protection." She hung her head. "I'm wasting my breath and my shake is melting. Nothing I say will convince you otherwise. You'll just have to see him in action and see for yourselves. He's trying to be the real deal."

"Trying," Michiru asked, a look of interest crossing her face.

"Extra addition claws," Haruka asked, snickering. "It's called an extradition treaty."

"Haha," Usagi huffed. "Yes, Michiru-_san_, he is trying. He isn't accustomed to living a normal life. Things that we grew up with and take for granted are new to him. He's like a child in that regard."

"Neherinia was also a child," Michiru said. "And look what nearly happened with that."

"And look at what _did_ happen."

Haruka thumped her empty glass on the table as Michiru slid what was left of hers to the center.

Usagi imitated Haruka's gesture, slopping a gob of semi-frozen chocolate over the side of the glass, and onto the table. "Phooey… look. Is that your way of saying we're done talking?"

"Almost," Haruka replied. "You say you want open cooperation with us, and that's fine. It's worked in the past."

Usagi made a guinea pig's squeal to show her delight. "All right! So, when do we meet up?"

"Next time there's an attack," Michiru said, "we'll come in and back you up. But for now, we'll cooperate, but work separately. Maybe throw the enemy off track."

"Waddaya mean?"

"You attack the enemy first," Haruka said. "Michiru and I will observe from nearby. If you start to get into trouble, then we'll back you up. They might not realize the extent of our cooperation yet, and possibly send smaller groups of enemies to us. Also," she leaned in. "Why don't you still remember all of your attacks? We've never even seen those discus attacks that the cameras caught during your scuffle at Tokyo Tower."

"They were impressive," Michiru mused, "but not exactly the magnitude of what you could do when you became the Eternal Sailor Moon."

"Uhhh..." Usagi sighed. "I guess that's another thing I need to tell you about, _ne?_"

"What?"

"Well, we've been training in the arctic by teleporting to where Ami says there aren't any spy satellites. It's freezing, and the penguins aren't there this time of year." She pouted to show her frustration with the absence of the animal that was always dressed for a party. "Moving on, I can't do anything stronger than my Moon Princess Halation attack. Rei can barely do a Burning Mandara, but she's winded after just one. She was in no shape to use that attack last night."

"How is she," Haruka asked. "If it weren't for her soft snoring, we would've assumed she was literally dead on the couch."

"She's ill and beat up. Her flu is slowing down the healing process."

"Hopefully after last night," Michiru said, "they'll need a bit longer to regroup. Rei'll be back to her old self soon enough with a couple days rest."

"She's a trooper," Haruka added. "You all are. What about the others?"

Usagi cleaned off her glass and took another sip. "Well, Minako's Love Me Chain seems more useful to summon it as a weapon than a magical attack, although poor Mako-_chan_ would disagree. And she's got a solid hold on her Double Sparkling Wide Pressure attack, but until they can transform into their super forms, we're not even thinking about their next attacks."

After a moment of silent stairs, Haruka continued. "And…?"

Usagi smacked her forehead. "Oh, right! Mamo-_chan's_ finally able to transform into Tuxedo Mask. Oddly, he hasn't regained his healing abilities. That about sums it up."

After another moment, "Ami," Haruka and Michiru said in unison.

"Oh… yeah. Sorry. Um, all she does is move around all silly like whenever she tries to use Shine Aqua Illusion."

"No offensive capabilities," Michiru said softly, pondering the situation.

"Well, not from a distance. Her karate lessons have really been paying off, though."

"Why can't you use all of your powers," Haruka asked.

"It's because the Silver Crystal went dormant for so long. It's slowly charging back up. We keep getting stronger."

"So do they," Michiru said. "Honestly. You start out at almost nothing again, and are just barely strong enough to defeat each wave of enemies as you keep getting stronger."

"It's like the sequel to a video game where the heroes from the first game are all back to level one for no good reason," Haruka muzed.

"The hands of fate must be getting lazy."

Usagi looked at them oddly, not comprehending them.

"Well," Haruka said, "my high level attack is granted by my sword. Michiru has her mirror, Setsuna, wherever, or _whenever_ she is, has her rod. And Hotaru has her Silence Glaive. Our powers are just as good as they've ever been, although we seem to have leveled off. No real growth."

"We'll be able to get you out of a jam if you need us."

"Just try not to embarrass yourself." Haruka winked.

Usagi scowled. "Ha…"

Michiru smiled her gentle smile that, once you got to know her, was actually politely condescending. Naturally, Usagi didn't see it that way.

"So," Usagi asked. "We're really gonna do this one together?"

"You bet," Haruka replied. "It's kinda all I can do to make up for the mistake I made last time."

Usagi's expression sobered up a bit. "It was two years ago."

"Besides," Michiru said, "we both made that mistake. If we had been better partners, Hotaru and Setsuna would've played along, or at least let us knock them out rather than kill them outright." She smiled. "That was rather surprising of them to just let the attacks hit them like that. But, it almost worked. Had all four of us gotten the bracelets and attacked Galaxia…"

"She'd be dead," Usagi said softly.

Haruka was looking off to the side, visibly distraught over remembering what had happened. Michiru didn't really seem too phased about it, though. "She might as well be dead to us. We made a powerful ally, but with no way to contact her or the Kinmoku to request aid…"

"It is what it is," Usagi said. "A lot of the people I saved that you would've merely let die or killed outright yourselves will never help us, but that's what I do. I protect the people of Earth. I save lives, not sacrifice them. That's how I fight when there's no other way. Wait…" She pursed her lips in thought. "Who are the Kinmoku?"

Michiru shook her head. "The Starlights! They were from a world called Kinmoku!"

Usagi pouted. "They never said where they were from!"

"Fighter told me," Haruka said softly. "She, well, he, as Seiya, was trying to get me to trust him by saying the name of his home world. Naturally, I reiterated my isolationist stance. I'd really like to set the record straight with him. No, wait… her. I dunno." She sighed as her thoughts returned to the previous arc of the conversation. She vividly remembered her twisted plan to kill Galaxia two years earlier. She had convinced Michiru that by giving up their star seeds to Galaxia and defeating Sailor Pluto and Sailor Saturn in front of her, they would win her trust. In return, Galaxia had granted them bracelets that would give them incredible powers, and allow them to live without their star seeds.

Although the plan had never been to intentionally kill the other two Senshi, it had always been a risk they were willing to take, and a sacrifice they were willing to make. And then, Setsuna and Hotaru simply stood there and let the attacks rip out their star seeds. When Haruka and Michiru eventually turned on Galaxia, however, the plan failed, and they died as well. _I killed Hotaru for nothing. I finally succeeded in what I tried to do when we first discovered her to be Sailor Saturn, and I got Setsuna and Michiru killed as well. If only we had all stood united with Sailor Star Fighter and the others…_

"It all worked out for the best in the end," Haruka said softly, ending the silence that didn't seem to bother Michiru at all. She looked up at Usagi and smiled a weak smile. "Because of you."

"We'll just have to be a bit more careful with our planning and more open with the others to avoid any further unfortunate misunderstandings," Michiru said, deflecting Haruka's praise of Usagi.

The conversation ended for good when all three of their watches suddenly beeped with Rei's signal.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight** _Of Magic Mice and Space Men_

Shortly after their encounter with Usagi Tsukino outside of the hospital, Jihanna Melvi and Heggith Cloik quickly carried the bodies of their fallen, for lack of a more fitting word, comrades, to the tiny cathedral aboard the ship. They wasted no time on courtesies or protocol. The priestess glared daggers at the duo as they threw the two body bags and the small bag with just a head onto the ground.

"Sorry," Jihanna said. "We're in a bit of a rush and we'd like to get some sleep before we attack."

The priestess tossed her long, golden hair blinked her pale, blue eyes. "Another attack so soon? Why not wait until after the Sabbath?"

"Jirghy will have told them about it by now," Heggith replied calmly. "They will know we cannot attack on their coming Sunday. And they will expect us to wait!"

"So if you don't mind," Jihanna said as she led her fiancé by the hand.

The head priestess, Dortheena nel Porthriat, shook her head as she began preparing the disrespected bodies of the fallen warriors for the monthly Sabbath for burial.

*.*.*

Heggith and Jihanna slept little. An accidental stroke, or an unintended brush set the two lovers off like rabbits in heat. After several romps in the tiny bed barely big enough for Jihanna, they gave up on sleep altogether and made love one last time before getting dressed. Then, they undressed and made love again before frantically throwing their clothes back on.

Heggith winked at Jihanna. "Let's end this, once and for all."

She nodded in reply. "Yes. The sailor's Moon will set, and our new dawn will arise."

The two rushed off of the bridge to the ship's transport room.

*.*.*

"Usagi-_chan!_ We…" Rei stopped as she gawked through her watch. She now saw the images of Michiru and Haruka.

"You forgot to mention our return, Usagi-_chan?_" Michiru asked.

"I can't talk on the watch and drive at the same time," she retorted.

"Why didn't Mamoru-_san_ relay the message," Haruka asked.

Usagi remembered blowing a kiss to him and running off without explaining what had happened. He still didn't have his own communicator since he always seemed to know when and where he was needed, so he could only assume that…

"We thought Setsuna-_san_ was back," Rei said.

Haruka and Michiru simultaneously rolled eyes with a matching smirk, both understanding what had happened.

"It doesn't matter! Get to the Shrine, pronto! They're attacking again. They just showed up and started a fireworks show by Space Mountain. They're not hurting anyone, but they're threatening to if we don't get there soon!"

"Hop in the back," Haruka said to Usagi as she shot up.

Usagi slammed a 1000 Yen note onto the table, right in the puddle of melted shake she had created. _Oh, no! Sorry, Fufu!_ She never called Furuhata Fufu to her face, as that was probably a pet name a boyfriend would call her. She grimaced and hurried after the other two, amazed how loud the café was when she stepped out of the sound barrier that had been magically erected.

Usagi slid from the driver's side to the passenger's side as Haruka floored it before she had a chance to buckle her belt. It was a _very_ bumpy ride for her as Haruka weaved in and out of oncoming traffic. Oddly, no one ever honked at her, and no police cars ever tried to pull her over.

_I smell a cat…_

Usagi was glad she was wearing shorts as she was flipped over the middle seat when the car screeched to a halt in front of the Shrine. Haruka yanked her up and out of the car by her waist, and the trio sprinted up the empty steps of the Shrine that would be closed to the public until Monday after the head priest returned from a trek in the mountains with his apprentice.

The others were waiting, and Tetsuya was in his outfit, but out cold on the ground. It would soon seep back into his skin, replaced by whatever he had been wearing before he transformed. "He wouldn't cooperate," Sailor Venus quickly explained. "He'd only get in the way, so I put him in a sleeper hold."

Makoto put a hand on Tetsuya's shoulder while Rei cautiously eyed Minako, the expression of her eyes emphasized by the surgical mask that covered her face, only leaving her eyes to convey such expressions.

"Your limbs work. If I wanted you out of the fight, I'd ask first."

Usagi shrugged and shook her head, remembering the two Klijargans from the middle of the night before outside of the hospital. "Heggith, the man, and … I never caught the woman's name. I hope they're not a couple… Moon Prism Power, Make-UP!"

"Uranus Planet Power, Make-UP!"

"Neptune Planet Power, Make-UP!"

The seven Senshi and Tuxedo Mask all joined hands. "Sailor Teleport!"

*.*.*

Tokyo Disneyland and Space Mountain were of a peculiar quality to two of the Senshi. Fourteen years ago, almost to the day, the Hino and Tsukino families stood in line together for Usagi and Rei's third go of Space Mountain. The families spoke amongst each other, unintentionally ignoring the other. Usagi and Rei had no recollection of this, only the memory that Space Mountain was the best part of one of the happiest days of their lives.

For Usagi, it was the day that she first learned that she was going to become a big sister. For Rei, a more somber occasion, as it was the last day before her mother, Risa Hino, learned of her illness. The two girls sat together while their parents merely nodded to each other, focusing their energies on seeing their daughters' expressions of delight as they rode Space Mountain one last time. The two girls were so excited that they didn't even acknowledge the other. The two had never returned since until that moment.

"Oops…" Rei and Usagi both said in unison as their distracted train of thought landed them several paces behind the two Klijargan invaders. The plan had been for them to land in Toon Town to the North and attack head on with Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune hidden in reserve if they were needed.

The two alien warriors turned, and the woman smirked. "Cosplayers," she mused as she pointed one of her swords at Rei. "You are a very dedicated young woman, standing in as Sailor Mars, even though you are sick." She bowed low. "I am Initiate Jihanna Melvi, and I will make sure the characters you two pay homage to will be honored for all of eternity. Now, run along, little girls. Things are about to get dangerous."

"Who are you calling little?!" Usagi shouted. "I am Sailor Moon! Guardian of…"

Heggith kicked Usagi's forehead, knocking her back. "Amazing…" he muttered as Usagi remained on her feet.

"That was uncalled for," Jihanna murmered.

"Um, yeah," Rei mumbled. "Maybe we should leave this to the real Senshi, right, Chiharu-_chan?_"

"Moon Princess Halation!"

_Usagi, you _IDIOT! "Fire Soul!"

Usagi's attack threw Jihanna into Heggith, knocking them both to the ground. They rolled away from Rei's fire attack and sprang up on either side, putting the two Senshi back to back.

"We could've regrouped," Rei protested.

Oddly, Usagi was smiling. "They'd better hurry up if they wanna join in the fun."

"Where are the rest of them," Jihanna asked.

"Let's just kill her and be done with it," Heggith replied.

"Now!" Usagi hollered as she grabbed Rei's hand and sprinted towards Space Mountain. The two dove to the side as a blast of energy slammed into the entrance, catching it on fire. The blaring sound of the fire alarm mixed horribly with the PA system, singing, as it always did, about Coca-Cola Classic. Rei landed hard and was hauled up by Usagi. "C'mon!"

Rei and Usagi waited at the ruined entrance. _BOOM!_ The two Senshi were thrown to the ground as Jihanna and Heggith blasted their way through the wall, sending a shower of plaster and metal in all directions.

"There they are!" Heggith sprang towards Usagi.

"Moon Tiara Dagger Action!"

"Fire…" Rei was tackled hard to the ground by Jihanna. She saw stars as her head slammed onto the concrete flooring. Rei looked through blurry eyes at her attacker. The female warrior had two silvery short swords, one in each hand. She was in a skintight red suit with what appeared to be a miniskirt, probably for the sake of modesty. The red shawl that draped her shoulders and covered her chest seemed to fit that motif, although there were more serious things for Rei to consider, like the fact that she was pinned down by a warrior with two swords drawn.

"Moon Princess Halation!"

Jihanna was knocked off of Rei, and the Senshi of Fire scurried to her feet, hopping back just in time as Jihanna slashed her twin blades at her. It wasn't a total miss, and one blade cut into her right shoulder while the other cut deeper into her left arm. "Ugh! Mind tossing me one of those," she mumbled as she staggered a few paces back.

Rei looked at her wounds. She was bleeding. Actually, she wasn't just bleeding, she was _bleeding_ bleeding! _I'm not supposed to bleed like that…_ She hadn't bled that much when her star seed got ripped out of her chest by an energy buzz saw blade! Magical girls weren't supposed to bleed profusely! It was so unladylike… Besides, Mamoru, and now Tetsuya, tended to bleed enough for the whole group! They were boys, after all. They were supposed to do the bleeding! What the hell was going on? _Is there a writer's strike at Destiny Publishing or something?_

"Fair is fair," Jihanna replied as she sheathed both of her blades, shaking Rei out of her ill-timed mental tangent. "You are a sorceress, not a swordswoman."

Rei stared for an instant, awed by the show of chivalry from her foe. Vendesusi, and Jorvist before his short-lived renewal, were cowardly bastards. Jihanna, on the other hand, seemed to have a grasp of the concept known as honor. Why were they enemies?_ Why must we fight?_

*.*.*

"Fire…" Rei's attack was cut off as she was tackled.

"Moon Princess Halation!" The attack freed Rei, and it was all the help Usagi would be able to give her. _I believe in you, Rei-_chan! Usagi had her own fight to worry about. She brandished her tiara menacingly. "Show me what'cha got," she snarled as the fire rose inside of her. She was going to break her attacker! She smiled at the thought of him looking up at her, helpless as she forced her mercy upon him!

Her attacker had a two-handed long sword with a cross guard that made it eerily similar to a broadsword used in medieval Europe. It was as long as he was tall, and he was somewhat tall, though not quiet as tall as her beloved Mamo-_chan!_ Although it gave him range, he would sacrifice speed, and that would spell defeat for him!

He was unarmored, wearing a skintight red jumpsuit. The chest had a silver pattern of buttons that matched Tetsuya's black suit, although her attacker looked much more appealing than Tetsuya did in such tight garments. But that was neither here nor there, as her attacker seemed intent on killing her.

"You are brave and clever," Heggith said. "It is with great honor and regret that I will end you." He bowed low. Usagi ignored the impulse to attack as he bowed. She wasn't a cheat. Sailor Moon did _not_ cheat!

Although she refrained from perform the sucker attack, she also refrained from returning the bow. "Shut up and fight!"

Heggith winked at her, then screamed as he charged in, swinging the long blade at an impossible speed. Someway, somehow, Usagi withstood the momentum of the impacts with her small tiara dagger, and she dropped to the ground doing the splits to avoid a horizontal chopping attack. Heggith spun to regain a defensive stance, and Usagi tossed her tiara at him, the magical item transforming from a glowing dagger to a glowing discus the instant it left her grasp. He deflected it with the hilt of his sword and Usagi rolled away, unarmed.

"Damn it," Heggith muttered as his sword disappeared into thin air. "Put up the Duke!"

Usagi hopped up in a fighting stance, erroneously thinking that Heggith had gotten the saying correct. Then, she realized that he was fighting… _with honor?_ The fire was washed away by a torrent of pity. He was nothing like Vendeusi or Jorvist. He wasn't a monster or a butcher. So why was he her enemy? _Why must we fight?_

*.*.*

"Fire Soul!" The spiraling flame shot towards her opponent. Jihanna merely took the fiery attack on her forearms, the sleeves of her uniform singeing and melting, revealing burned skin underneath. She charged through the pain towards her opponent. _Not good…_

Jihanna slammed into Rei, knocking them both to the ground. Rei didn't know Karate, or, for reasons not quite understood, how to brawl freestyle like Usagi did while fighting Jorvist. She knew charms, prayers, and her Senshi attacks. And in a one on one duel with a duelist and a brawler as her opponent, the situation was definitely not good.

Jihanna pinned Rei's arms to the ground with her legs and unsheathed one of her silvery swords. She raised the blade over her head as Rei struggled in vain. "You are defeated, but take heart, brave sorceress! You will be given a hero's burial and this site will be made a into a holy…" A tiny red blur streaked past Jihanna's face. She turned to see a red rose sticking out of the wall. "What the…"

Jihanna never finished her sentence as Tuxedo Mask, swinging from Sailor Venus's whip, slammed into her, knocking her to the ground and freeing Rei. Rei leapt to her feet and fell back over as the dizziness set in. The shouts of many familiar voices allowed relief to flood through her. She and Usagi had been rescued!

*.*.*

Usagi spun to one side, then catapulted off of a handrail, shoulder butting Heggith. Instead of knocking the brute to the ground, she felt a sharp pain in her shoulder as she bounced off of him and hit the ground. He tackled her, leading with his head and slamming into her chest. He pinned her to the ground and head butted her, making her see stars. Heggith grabbed Usagi by her blouse and flung her towards the carts of the ride, and then she was grabbed by a blue blur.

Heggith snarled "What trickery is…" and then he was hit from behind by a ball of lightning.

*.*.*

Heggith Cloik recovered quickly and leapt on top of the model space ship. As soon as he landed, he was confronted by the blue-haired Sailor Mercury. "Is that any way to treat a lady," she said. "Shine…"

Heggith rematerialized his sword. It was now a free for all, no more duels. Anything went in a melee! He took a step towards his new opponent who was spinning in place, an array of mist and water droplets forming around her.

"Aqua…"

As she raised her hands over her head, Heggith drew his sword back for a thrust.

"ILLUSION!"

A spray of water knocked him back to the edge of the ship, and the water quickly froze around him, burning him with its freezing touch. He screamed as he willed his body to break through the ice with his brute strength. He looked at his opponent, who swayed and fell off of the ship, a loud 'oof' from below as she fell on top of Sailor Venus.

As Sailor Mercury fell, Sailor Jupiter also jumped up to the top of the giant model spaceship. Tuxedo Mask had tossed the whip back to Sailor Venus, but she was unable to catch it as Sailor Mercury fell on top of her. The whip ricocheted off of the side of the ship, spinning and wrapping around Sailor Jupiter, tying her arms to her side.

"Are you serious?!" She hollered as Heggith thrust his sword. She jump back and up and kicked off the tip of the sword, spinning over the side. Naturally, Sailor Jupiter landed on top of Sailor Venus as she was still getting up.

"Gah…" she moaned.

"Serves you right!"

Heggith leaped down in time to see Jihanna flung out of the hole in the wall by a miniature tidal wave, slamming her head into the wall and spinning her. She bounced and rolled limply on the pavement outside.

"NOOOO!" Heggith dashed to the exit, ignoring a glancing blow to his side from another blade.

"Two… new _Val'kureis_…" Jihanna mutterd as Heggith scooped her up.

"Fire Soul Bird!"

"Moon Princess Halation!"

"World Shaking!"

"Submarine Reflection!"

"Crescent Beam Shower!"

"Supreme Thunder Dragon!"

Heggith turned away, shielding Jihanna as the attacks slammed into him. He was burned, seared, crushed, submerged, pelted and electrocuted. The last attack made Jihanna scream and the current surged through him and into her as well.

"_Kah'mo darugarokh!_" For a few precious seconds, Heggith wasn't hindered by pain. He leapt with all of his might high into the air, just into a feasible zone for transport, and the severely injured duo was whisked away in a white flash, followed by darkness.

*.*.*

Haruka smiled, still cradling Usagi. "Well, at least that's over with." She looked at the rest of the group, Makoto piggy backing an unconscious Ami and Michiru supporting a dazed Sailor Mars. She eyed the Senshi of Fire, then looked at her princess. "At least the two of you finished well."

"I'm fine," Usagi muttered as she squirmed out of Haruka's grasp. "Let's get out of here."

The conscious warriors joined hands. "Sailor Teleport!"

*.*.*

_BONK!_

"Ow!" Usagi said after Haruka bonked the top of her skull. She shook her head and saw Michiru blocking Mamoru's path to them.

"Easy, Mamo-_chan_," Usagi said softly.

"Use your words next time," Michiru chided, looking at Haruka.

"You are still a goddamned fool," Haruka spat, ignoring her lover. "What the hell were you thinking?!" Haruka turned and shoved Rei to the floor. "And you! Same question!"

"It was the last day of my life before I learned that my mother was dying," Rei growled as she shot to her feet. She swayed and fell forward into Haruka's grasp. Haruka's snarl softened.

"I'm sorry," she said as she eased Rei to the ground. They both powered down, and Rei's bleeding gashes faded away, magically hidden, but not yet healed. "I am so sorry for you, but that's no excuse." She turned her gaze back to Usagi and stared for a moment before speaking. "You were there a long time ago. Was it the day you learned you would have a sibling?"

Usagi nodded, and then hung her head. "Yeah… I see your point. Now they know about you." She smacked her forehead. "All I had to do was pretend to be an idiot cosplayer and we could've regrouped."

"Wait," Michiru said, still keeping Mamoru from physically intervening. "What?"

"They thought we were cosplayers whose imaginations had run wild."

Haruka nodded and stood up. "Gimme your hand."

Usagi extended her hand, and Haruka slapped it. Usagi lowered her head, ashamed of herself. "I probably deserved a slap to the face…"

"Words," Michiru snapped.

"It's the only way to get through her thick skull," Haruka retorted as the Senshi began arguing amongst each other, Mamoru finally shoving his way past Michiru.

In the chaos of the arguing, Rei crept out of the room, just in time to see Tetsuya closing the front door to her house. For reasons unknown, she felt that she should follow him.

*.*.*

"_Gomen kudasai!_"

"Ugh!" Tetsuya winced as the unannounced visitor's request took him by surprise, causing him to jerk his injured arm once again. "Goddamn it, Usa…" He stopped himself short. _My ears don't feel like bleeding. Wrong magical girl…_ "Hino-_san?_"

"_Oi_," she replied through the door. "We've been through this!"

Rei had chided him once for calling her Hino-_san_ instead of Rei-_chan_, because they were 'all friends now.' _That stupid little two-faced witch is nothing but trouble!_ Tetsuya took a calming breath before opening the door slightly. "What can I do for you?"

Rei shrugged. "I dunno. I just got a vibe that I should follow you. It usually happens for a reason, but sometimes…"

Unable to control himself, Tetsuya flung, _flung_ the door open. "Come on in," he growled mockingly as the door hit the stopper on the wall. It was a blatant way of saying 'now is not a good time.'

In an Usagiesque manner, Rei's expression, partially blocked by her surgical mask, remained neutral as she bowed, stepped in, and kicked off her sandals. She wasn't wearing socks. As she slowly meandered around his room, Tetsuya couldn't help but notice her small, delicate feet, a coating of ruby red polish on her toe nails. He caught himself staring at another part of her while she was leaning over and inspecting one of his drawers just before she turned to look at him.

_Nothing but trouble…_ And the were _short_ shorts. Tight, too… In truth, Tetsuya admired Rei for her courage, compassion, and how much she meant to Usagi. But as far as he was concerned, he didn't like her. He especially didn't like her poking around all of his things. _Looking_ at her, he didn't seem to mind so much… But then she started speaking again.

"I really don't mean to pry…" She started before Tetsuya cut her off.

"And that's exactly what you're doing."

The neutral, apologetic look was replaced by an annoyed scowl. "Fine. Where's your stash?"

Tetsuya frowned. "Um, my what?"

Rei motioned around the room, pointing at the open drawers, most of which were empty. "This can't possibly be everything you have!"

_What does this insufferable little bitch want from me?!_ "What of it?" Tetsuya grabbed a pillow and threw it in Rei's direction. The miss was intentional, and Tetsuya realized the futility, as his gesture was an Aschothiyli insult, not a Japanese one.

Rei's annoyed look turned to sorrow. "Tetsuya-_kun_, you can't be serious."

He sat down on his bed and sighed audibly. "Yes, this is all that I have. It's all that I need. Go throw someone else a pity party."

Her look went back towards annoyed again. "That's not a lot of stuff, or money."

"I… I take what I need when I need it. Is that a problem?"

"Well, yes! That's not going to cut it anymore."

"What are you saying, Rei? _Chan?!_ I'm at my freakin' wits end here, and you're poking around…"

"You should move into the Shrine."

Tetsuya couldn't muster a response.

Rei managed a pathetic attempt at a smile, barely visible through her surgical mask. He could now see how tired she was, how every step was a battle against pain and exhaustion. And in spite of her illness and injuries, she had followed him all the way from her home, to his, for lack of a better word, home. "Stealing doesn't go so well with us. My grandfather can give you food, clothing, and a roof over your head. All we charge for room and board is help around the Shrine."

_What's your angle?_ "Don't even joke like that."

_WHUMPH!_ Rei's pillow toss knocked him back and onto the bed. "_Baka! Baka! Baka!_ I'm not joking! You're part of the team, now. We can't have you stealing on a regular basis, or… or at all! And you're practically living in squalor! I mean, I thought Mako-_chan_ had it bad, but, well… you can't keep this up!"

Tetsuya remained silent.

"You might not have a cool uniform like Mamoru-_san_, or a real transformation, or any really cool looking attacks like us, but you've managed to wriggle your way into our lives, both as Tetsuya Journey, and as Journeyman."

Tetsuya looked down at his feet. They were clad in pristine, bright, white socks. In Japan, you didn't wear shoes indoors, so your socks had to be up to snuff. No holes, no excess lint, no stains. And if they were white, they needed to be _white_. Stolen new, and cleaned and bleached with stolen detergent and Clorox, made bright and white with stolen money to run the machine at the Laundromat down the road. And he would need to steal again before the week's end if he wanted to keep eating and sleeping under a roof.

Or, he could simply accept Rei's offer and live at the very epicenter of Senshi activity, for both on and off duty happenings. He looked back at the young women he had so wrongly accused and insulted in his mind and under his breath, and now, to her face.

"Well," she asked again.

"I… I don't know what to say."

_WHUMPF!_ "_Baka! Baka! Baka!_ Say 'yes!' It's not rocket science!"

Tetsuya counted the pillows again. There seemed to be an extra one for no real reason. He smirked. _Damned magical girls really _are_ nothing but trouble…_ "Yes."

The mask perked up as her smile turned a bit more genuine as some of the fatigue faded away from her eyes. "Great! Let's get you packed. I know I don't look it, but I can take your backpack. You put whatever doesn't fit in the satchel." His satchel was more of an over-glorified cloth grocery bag, but his backpack, also stolen, was nice. It was big, spacious, had lots of little compartments, and was well constructed. If packed properly, it could carry more than twice Rei's weight. He absentmindedly wandered if he could also fit _her_ petite form into the backpack…

Rei raced through the packing process, rolling instead of folding. She finished packing the backpack before Tetsuya finished packing his satchel. He was amazed at how quickly she moved in spite of her illness and the beatings she had taken over the last twenty-four hours. She was a tough one, all right!

"Where's that nice suit of yours," she grunted as she hoisted up the backpack, failing to hide her grimace of pain.

"I returned it."

"They took it back?"

"Well, I forfeited a quarter of the payment, as well as the tailoring fees. But, at least I didn't have to steal again."

"Well, your clothes and stuff are yours. But, you need to return what's left of the money."

Tetsuya shrugged. "How?"

Rei thought for a moment. "Hmmm… good point. It'd be hard to divvy out who gets what. Why not make a donation to a local charity?"

"But it's stolen. I'm a fan of Robin Hood's ideals, but I didn't steal from lecherous merchants or the sheriff. Wouldn't there be a negative karma attached to the money?"

Rei arched an eyebrow at Tetsuya as the two headed to the checkout counter. "Good point. I can bless the money so there's no negative energies when you make your donation."

"Hey," the man at the counter snapped as Rei and Tetsuya walked into the room. "Escorts cost extra! Two people in a room means you pay for two people in a room!"

"E… Es… _ESCORT?!_" Rei leapt on top of the counter in a crouch and grabbed the man by his collar. "I am a priestess of Shinto, _not_ an escort! I am helping my friend check out of this rat hole."

The man nodded nervously. "Of… of course. You're good! You're good! I'll let the late checkout fee slide. He's paid through this morning already, so you're both good to go."

Rei turned back to Tetsuya. "Let's go… _OI!_"

"Sorry," Tetsuya said, looking away. "Didn't mean to stare. But you kinda stuck it right in my face."

"Ugh! You men are all pigs…" She hopped down from the counter and the two set out.

"Treat your girlfriend right, young man," the man said as the door closed.

"We're not like that," Rei snapped as she spun around. An audible _click_ sounded from the door as it magnetically locked itself.

"A shame. The two of you could've had really short kids with really long noses."

Tetsuya sighed as he kept walking. "It's not that long."

"It kinda is…"

"_Oi_…"

*.*.*

Tetsuya learned quickly that Rei was not to be babied or treated as weak, no matter how bad she looked while carrying most of his material burden. Her reaction to his second offer to take the heavier load also showed him that her reputation as a hothead was somewhat deserved, although she normally kept it under wraps, and quickly recovered the few times she did let her temper get the best of her.

It was her nature. A fiery, passionate go-getter was just as much Rei Hino as the sweet, smiling part-time priestess he had gotten to know. And although she could mitigate and minimize the damage of her temper, she was still Rei Hino, for better, and for worse. She was trouble, all right. All magical girls were nothing but trouble. And considering everything he had learned so far, they were all worth it.

*.*.*

A few hours in a recovery solution had worked marvels for Jihanna Melvi and Heggith Cloik. Although not fully recovered, an opportunity that was beyond refusal had presented itself. A tracking device Melvi had planted on Sailor Mars signaled that she was right next to an Aschothiliy, and she was away from the other Senshi. An opportunity to capture the traitor alive for pardoning, and a chance to get the little Fire Goddess who had slipped from her grasp!

Although it was despicable, Jihanna and Cloik had no choice but to resort to such tactics in order to finish the trial. They would keep picking off the Senshi one or two at a time until Sailor Moon's lieutenants were lowered to a manageable number. It was either that, or concede to the next group, and be remembered forever in disgrace. Not a chance!

"Ready," Jihanna whispered.

"Ready, my love," Heggith replied, and the two silently charged up for the ambush.

*.*.*

"I got it," Rei snapped as Tetsuya tried to help her with the umbrella.

"I'm not babying you," he shot back. "Can you at least swallow an ounce of your pride and let me hold the goddamned umbrella?"

"Sure," she said sweetly, handing over the small umbrella. "I hope you get struck by lightning." _Actually, if he fights with us long enough, he's bound to get hit by one of Mako-_chan's_ stray blasts…_

"For crying out loud, I haven't even moved in yet, and we're already arguing like an old married couple."

"Meh…" _Well, that was pointless of me…_ Rei stuck out her tongue and pulled down her eyelid. However, her tongue was hidden by her surgical mask.

"I'd better not catch the plague from you." The two were huddled close together under the small umbrella Rei had wisely brought with her.

"Keep it up, wiseass, and I'll cough on you while you sleep!" She playfully bumped hips with him, causing him to stumble, getting them both pelted with a short blast of rain that was uncharacteristically cold for mid-September.

"So, are we arguing, or just playfully talking trash?"

Rei looked at him and shrugged. "It's been a rough week for all of us. And I gotta be honest with you. Your remarks back at the hotel, well, they really hurt me."

Tetsuya sighed and shook his head. "I'm really sorry about that, Rei-_chan_. I was absolutely convinced that you would be nothing but a pain in my butt from the moment I met you. And, well, I've never been so wrong about someone before. I'm really, really sorry about that. Please forgive me for being such dumbass."

"Oh… okay. Don't… don't worry about it. We're moving on. And, um, uh… speaking of which, you're not gonna hold a grudge against Minako-_chan_, are ya?"

Tetsuya shrugged and smirked. "I'm not making any promises."

Rei cleared her throat and scratched under one eyelid, then the other. She looked over again at Tetsuya, who seemed to be confused with holding the umbrella. "Is something wrong?"

"I was going to put a hand on your shoulder to emphasize that I'm sorry since you seemed upset, but I'm holding the umbrella with my only working hand."

"I had something in my throat and an itch to scratch!"

"Fine, tough girl."

After a moment, Rei sighed. "_Baka…_" She very gently smacked the back of his head.

"Hey! I'm trying to heal."

The two continued in silence for a moment before Rei spoke again. "Hey. How did you do that, um, thing with the gun and the bullets?"

"At the train station back in August?"

"Yeah! Do you have, like, telepathetic abilities or whatever it's called when you move things with your mind?"

"It's an enchantment. I'm what the Klijargans call touched. The touched can't use most magic directly, but they respond well to enchantments. One of the many enchantments fused into me is the ability to sense certain types of trace magic. Bullets and guns are very impersonal. It takes very little skill to make or use them. So, they are essentially ownerless. Sensing that aura, I can shield myself by pushing the bullets away, or pulling them into the side of my sword. When the attacker is out of ammo, the gun has an aura of emptiness. That is when I can summon it to me."

"So, in order to do that, you have to wait until it's been fired and ran out of ammo?"

"Yup."

"Did you use it a lot while you were traveling with…"

"Twice. Two very sad stories for another day."

Rei looked forward and kept walking, understanding that the conversation had just been derailed. The two jumped as lighting flashed close by, and they scurried under a small bridge.

"Can you teleport a second person?" Rei asked.

"I dunno," Tetsuya sighed. "It could just splatter our atoms all over the wall. And, unlike you, tough girl, I'm not hiding any weaknesses. I'm still in really bad shape. The pain is numb, but if I closed my eyes for half a minute, I'd fall to the ground asleep."

Rei nodded. "I feel like shit. If I take off your backpack, or lean up against the wall, my mind's gonna think the race is over, and I'll be useless. I need rest. Quality, uninterrupted rest. I'll bet my fever's gonna come back if I don't take another dose of aceta… something."

"Acetaminophen."

"Braincase…"

"I could use some. You got any?"

"Didn't you get a good enough look at my back pockets earlier?"

Tetsuya smiled. "Sorry. I really didn't mean to stare. You were totally off limits the moment I heard you speak about Yuuichirou. You have a really cute look in your eyes when you speak about him."

Rei smiled underneath the surgical mask as another crack of thunder roared, followed by the sound of a relentless downpour. "I love him so much. I wasted years of happiness ignoring that feeling, foolishly thinking I was too good for a wanderer like him." She looked back at Tetsuya. "Mako-_chan's_ also a fool. Love makes you do some stupid stuff. Fear of losing does the same thing. She'll come around. She loves you."

"Why don't we call in reinforcements? No one can see us through the cloudburst. Transform, call in the cavalry, and do the teleport thing?"

Rei cocked an eyebrow as she pulled her transformation pen from her purse. "You got it! Mars…" Rei screamed as her wrist erupted in fire and her communicator exploded. Years of training gave her the presence of mind to hold onto her transformation pen and finish the spell. "Power, Make…"

Tetsuya, already in his Journeyman outfit and red sword in his right hand, was thrown into her as he shielded her from the next attack. Fire erupted in her chest as she felt several ribs crack when she was slammed into the brick wall of the bridge sheltering them from the downpour and lighting. She almost dropped her pen.

Almost.

"UP!"

In a blinding swirl of orange and red, Rei Hino transformed into the Goddess of War and Fire. Instantly, she was slammed into the wall again as Jihanna Melvi grabbed her by the throat with one hand and shot an energy blast into her gut with the other. She then heard the sickening sound of bones snapping as Tetsuya screamed a metallic cry through the voice filter in his helmet. Heggith Cloik had broken his injured arm again, and had him pinned down on his stomach.

"Can't have you going all red-eyed on us," he muttered as he stuck a syringe into his shoulder and injected a blue liquid into him.

Rei tried to summon a Fire Soul attack, but no sound escaped as her lungs were empty from the crushing blows, and her lips moved uselessly as Jihanna threw her over her head, slamming her into the ground. Rei felt the concrete crack from the impact, and Jihanna was on top of her, painfully pinning her arms to the ground with her legs once more. Rei tasted blood in her mouth, even though no blows had ever connected with her face. She struggled to breathe in as Heggith said something in Klijargan.

"No," Jihanna said in Japanese, "let her hear it as well. She deserves that respect, my love."

"Very well," he replied, still pinning a squirming and whimpering Tetsuya to the cold, hard pavement. "You should use the red blade to finish her. Although only an insulting copy of the true blade, it is a fitting tribute. She deserves this last honor."

_Just like in the dream…_ Rei steeled herself. She then felt a hand take hers. Somehow, Tetsuya had willed himself to extend his mangled arm towards her, letting her know that, if the worst happened, at least she wasn't alone. His helmet, however, was facing away.

"Oh, no," Heggith said. "You're not off the hook. _Diya kho, makre'cht!_" He stabbed his fingers into the helmet, and it dematerialized. He then turned Tetsuya's head to look towards Rei and held his eyelids open with his fingers. "You will watch her die, both as punishment for your betrayal, and as tribute to her. She deserves to be properly remembered. Look upon her with pride and honor as she faces her end."

Heggith tossed Tetsuya's red blade to Jihanna, and she lowered the sword to Rei's throat. It was cold, and razor sharp. With her free hand, she ripped off the surgical mask. "Your true visage should be remembered, brave sorceress. Any last words?" She asked as she put her other hand on the end of the blade.

Rei fluttered her eyes and slowly lulled her head to the side. "Clo… ser…" she wheezed and coughed. Jihanna lowered her head, and Rei spat bloody phlegm on her face. Rei smiled at her with a toothy, crimson grin. "Just get it over with. I haven't got all day."

Jihanna wiped the bloody mucus from her face and smiled at her prey, her shoulder muscles flexing beneath the skintight red uniform she wore. And then, Rei felt as if her entire body was engulfed in an unnatural fire as her muscles spasmed uncontrollably for a hellish split second. Then, she knew peace.

*.*.*

*.*.*

*.*.*

Author's Notes…

I've been working simultaneously on Chapters 7, 8 and 9 on my last trip to… the 'moon.' Well, in the original version, Gary Stu (Tetsuya) was with Ami, and he dueled one on one with Jihanna. Afterwords, Tetsuya said he needed a place to stay, and Ami recommended Rei's.

In the new version, Tetsuya finds out how badly he misjudged Rei's true intentions and motives, and instead of being back in action, he's kinda helpless. He's not a willing hero in the new storyline. Very few people who know what it truly takes actually want to be a hero. After all, most hero's are remembered for their heroic end while still in their prime…

Makes me think of a song from the play Miss Saigon… "If You Wanna Die in Bed…"

Does a coward truly die a thousand times, or does he/she get used to it after a few dozen runaways?

Happy 4th to my fellow Americans, and a happy belated Canada Day to my northern neighbors.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine** _Pink Polka Dots Don't Suit You_

_And I thought I was the slow one…_ Makoto frowned as the unseasonally cold rain drenched her. She never seemed to remember to carry an umbrella, and while the other Senshi bickered amongst each other as to who did what wrong in their skirmish at Tokyo Disneyland, Makoto was the first to realize the Rei and Tetsuya were missing. Tetsuya was still recovering from the previous night's battle against Jorvist, and Rei was sick and all sorts of banged up. Neither one of them had any business wandering around in the rain! What were they thinking?! What was so important that Tetsuya had to leave the Shrine, and why was Rei following him? Was she even following him?

_Makoto Kino, you moron!_ She smacked her forehead. Rei's actions didn't really matter. The simple truth was that Tetsuya was avoiding her, now. He had trekked out into the rain just to get away from her. It was _her_ fault! She had foolishly pushed him away to spare herself the pain if something horrible happened to him, and her selfish actions were now just hurting the young man who had made her believe in love again. _He really is too good for me, but that's not really saying much…_ And for some odd reason, Rei-_chan_ had probably followed him. If she caught pneumonia, it'd be _her_ fault!

Makoto made an obscene gesture at the sky as a crash of thunder roared off, striking right across the street. "Do your worst," she mumbled.

"Get indoors, you idiot," a man yelled. She ignored him as the rain quickly grew into a cloudburst. And then, she saw them with her crystal clear vision. All four of them! Jihanna and Heggith, waiting in ambush as Rei and Tetsuya ran under a distant bridge. Then, she could barely see three feet in front of her as the rain became a blinding downpour.

"Jupiter Power, Make-UP!" The swirls and lights of her transformation were drowned out by the wall of water slamming down from the cruel heavens above. Jupiter sprinted, knocking over any unfortunate pedestrians, dogs, cats, carts or Bare-Ass Godzillas that got in her way. She suddenly jumped for absolutely no logical reason, hurtling safely over a stroller with two tiny twins. Then, she heard Tetsuya scream through his voice filter. _Gods… no…_ "Double Sparkling Wide… PRESSURE!"

She held the lighting balls in place as she suddenly came under the bridge, the wall of water vanishing as she entered the tiny shelter from the cloudburst. She slammed her electrifying attack into Jihanna at point blank range, blasting her out from under the bridge. Poor Rei-_chan_ was hurled into the ceiling and fell limply to the ground, twitching from the electricity. Her arm and shoulder were bleeding again from the Space Mountain skirmish, and there was now a third cut on her throat. It didn't seem too serious, but Makoto didn't have time to inspect it, as she turned just in time to see a long sword being thrust at her.

"You bitch!" Heggith cried. "I swear I'll make you pay!"

The blade nicked her side as she dodged to her left, slamming and bouncing off of the wall and into Heggith. "You pay first, you bastard." Makoto tackled him and knocked the blade out of his grasp. She raised her fist and it came flying down, lightning flashing as she connected the blow, fueled by the unholy fury of Zeus himself, shattering his nose. She struck him again, lightning flashing a second time as she scored a direct strike to his unprotected temple. Then a third blow, another flash of lighting as she broke the man's jaw. Heggith struggled weakly, and she lifted him up by the throat, and raised her fist again. Lightning struck her raised hand, and she felt the burn and the electricity surge through her. She smiled a feral grin as she uppercutted him in the gut, the charged lightning strike shooting out and through him.

Then, she felt two blades slice into her back, but only the tips. She dropped Heggith to the ground, a smoking hole in his gut, and turned as Jihanna dropped her swords. She stared in wide-eyed horror at Heggith. After an instant, she shoved Makoto to the side, grabbed him, and ran away, frantically screaming in her own tongue. Just before they disappeared in the dwindling downpour, a bright light enveloped them, taking them back to their ship in orbit.

Makoto took a quick look at her back. Two small tears in her _fuku_, each with a tiny red spot, were visible. Nothing life threatening. She then looked at the arm that had, barring a miracle, killed Heggith. Her once pristine white glove was now scorched, her arm was lobster red, and as the wounds from the electrocution began to overpower the thinning adrenaline, she struggled to stay on her feet.

"Ma…k…k…"

She turned to Tetsuya to see his eyes flutter as he lost consciousness. His arm was bent at an unnatural angle, and a bone was visibly sticking out. _That bastard broke it again._ It was visibly bleeding, but it wasn't gushing blood the way Naru's leg had the night before. Makoto saw that the rain had almost stopped, and without thinking, ripped open a cloth satchel lying on the ground. She grabbed a t-shirt and threw it over his head.

She moved onto her next injured comrade, kneeling down next to Rei. Her two wounds from Space Mountain were bleeding again, but not profusely, and the third cut on her neck was only oozing a few trickles. Neither one was going to bleed out anytime soon.

"Is he dead?" A little boy asked as a crowd had started to gather. The sun was now shining brightly, sending a blinding glare as its bright rays reflected off of the water.

Makoto smiled at him. "Just unmasked," she replied. "We're a lot harder to kill than that."

"What happened," a young woman asked. She was standing next to a man with a small video camera.

Makoto shook her head. "Sorry, no more questions. I'll mention the idea of a media day, but I'm not making any promises." She tapped in the code for Ami on her watch. The blue-haired Senshi of Water appeared. "We were ambushed, but fought 'em off. Need a teleport. On the double! Bridge near Oda's Inn."

"_H…hai!_" Ami's image winked out.

Makoto crawled over to Tetsuya, whose outfit had seeped back into his skin, replaced by the clothes he had worn the night before at Ami's party. He'd never had the chance to change. She gently pulled him close to her and held him. A sickening crunching sound was made as his bones somehow set themselves in his arm. A moment later, the other five Senshi flashed onto the scene. Without a word, they circled their injured friends and joined hands again.

"Sailor Teleport!"

*.*.*

Tetsuya came to with his head against something warm and soft. As his eyes slowly came into focus, he saw a large, yet feminine hand holding his. He felt another hand gently stroking and scratching his head. He looked up. The face was blurred, but the hair was the wrong length, style and color. Then the eyes came into focus. They were green. Hers had been brown, like his as a child. The dream the night before was so heart wrenching that he kept looking for something that wasn't there anymore. Not even in the dream realm. But it _felt_ like her…

"Hey," she said. "How's my little man doing?"

When he had still been Celpoe Midnovir, his mother always called him that. She was a tall, strong woman, and he was small and sickly. But she always encouraged him. She never belittled him when calling him little. But it wasn't his mother speaking to him.

"Ma..." Tetsuya started. "… Ko… ko…" Usagi was Usako to Mamoru. Why couldn't Makoto be his Makoko? Or just… Koko.

Makoto caressed his face. "You can call me that if you want." As her features became more focused, he could see that she was smiling. "I'm so sorry about earlier. I swear I'll never run out on you like that again."

_She called you an angel among men._ Usagi's words echoed in his head from lunch on Thursday. He barely heard them. Omi's death had shaken him to the core, and half a week after, he was still recovering from it. Only now did he remember hearing Usagi relay Makoto's words. _What a crock of shit_. He was no angel. He wasn't even a good person, at least not naturally. Everything about his new persona was an act! He was a bastard, born and bred. He knew that while he was half of his mother, he was half of his father, as well. _Father… Godfather…_

"Cloik…" he croaked.

"You mean Heggith?"

"Is… he…"

Makoto gently shushed him. "He was going to take you away, the way god took Shinozaki away."

"No… he…" He tried to squeeze her hand with his, but she was holding his injured hand. A new wave of pain shot through him as he foolishly flexed his freshly reinjured bones.

"But… he had you pinned down. He was holding his sword to the back of your neck, and then the woman was about to slash Rei-_chan's_ throat."

"It wasn't…" Tetsuya stopped himself mid-sentence. _It doesn't matter. They weren't my friends. They never were. None of them were. They were just Klijargans._

"He… wasn't your friend, was he?"

Tetsuya took a moment before responding. "None of them were. They were all… just…"

While traveling with the Klijargans, Tetsuya saw that the way they acted was nowhere near as romantic, or awe inspiring, or heroic as they liked to boast. They thought themselves high and mighty, but they were just as mortal and fallible as any Aschothily, Cardjeyan, Human, or other sentient life form. He had made up his own words to the tune of a nursery rhyme, parodying one of their drinking songs.

_They laughed, they cried, became vengeful when wronged._

_ They fell in love, fell out of love, they lusted, and longed._

_ They fought, they thought, they sang aloud._

_ They bled or fled, some meek, some proud._

_ Klijargan scumbags, every last one!_

*.*.*

Then Tetsuya wept aloud.

*.*.*

Tetsuya had asked to be alone after tearfully explaining, in broken, stuttered sentences, his relationship with the dead attacker. Rei didn't blame him. He had watched his girlfriend kill the future father of his unborn godchild, a child who would now never exist. After a few terse words, Michiru allowed Inner-Outer Senshi negotiations to continue without their new ally. Or as Haruka called him, their new liability.

In the end, however, it was rather simple. The enemy knew that Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune were in the picture, and they would probably be on the lookout for Sailor Pluto and Sailor Chibi-Moon. Since Sailor Saturn was an enigma to outsiders due to her lack of active participation in the public eye, it was assumed that the enemy was not anticipating the only one of the three that the others could actually rely on making contact with, eventually. _Where are you, Hotaru-_chan?

The meeting had deteriorated back into nit picking about Usagi and Rei's foul up, the lack of coordination regarding Minako's whip, their overall tactics in the future, and a strict no-sacrifice policy that Michiru seemed to agree with a bit too easily. Rei meandered to the TV, now easily viewed from the couch. Maybe she could fall asleep watching some poorly written teen soap that was guaranteed to have at least one face slapping per episode…

"_Gomen Kudasai!_" An overly enthusiastic voice sounded from the door, probably some genki girl hopped up on Mountain Dew, or worse, Jolt.

_For Kami's sake…_ The shrine was closed! Couldn't she read?! "_Chotto matte kudasaimasenka!_" _More like _tasukette kudasaimasenka_… ugh!_

Rei willed her mostly broken body away from the hypnotic droning of the old TV and the comfort of the well broken in couch. She slid the door open without hiding her fatigue. She knew her hair was a mess and she didn't really care. The shrine was closed!

Rei looked up at a tall, athletic young woman who seemed about her age. She wore an elegant, pink silken kimono and wore her long, pink hair in a simple ponytail. Her sparkling ruby quartz eyes glinted with more than a mere hint of mischief, and her smile reeked of genki hyperactivity as she absent-mindedly spun her black parasail. "Can I help you?"

She winked at Rei. "Sorry to see that you're ill, but is Usagi-_chan_ here?"

Rei's heart sank. A pink-haired, pink-eyed, happy-go-lucky girl. _Just like Omi had been._ "It's really not a good time."

She arched an eyebrow. "But, Rei-_chan_, it's _me!_"

The girl _did_ look somewhat familiar. Maybe if Usagi and Mamoru had a… And then the traffic jam of info in Rei's exhausted mind broke through. Her jaw dropped and her tired eyes widened. "Chi… Chi…"

The already toothy grin widened even more somehow as she nodded confirmation.

"U-Usagi-_chan!_" After a moment of no reply, Rei turned her head back inside. "USAGI-_CHAN!_"

Chibi-Usa winced, morphing her smile into an odd, Usagiesque expression that Rei missed as she was screaming in the other direction.

"_WHAT?!_" Usagi screamed in return.

"Get your _odangos_ over here!"

After a moment, Usagi came to the door, visibly annoyed by the interruption. The annoyance turned to a somber expression. "What do you want," she said softly, just barely hiding her disdain.

Chibi-Usa's smile shrank down to a mere smirk. "C'mon…"

"I'm not in any mood for games, missy. Do I know you from somewhere?"

Chibi-Usa huffed and rolled her eyes. "Geeze…" She undid her ponytail, held her hair up in two makeshift _odangos_ with tails, and squealed in a high-pitched, well, _higher_-pitched voice. "No! Mamo-_chan's_ _my_ boyfriend!"

Usagi screamed and leapt back and overtop of Rei, landing on her and piggy backing the weakened Senshi of Mars.

"Get… off… Usa…" Rei stammered as the added weight threw her to the ground. "… giii-_chaaaannnn_…"

Usagi sprang off of Rei and grabbed Chibi-Usa, spinning her around in a bear hug.

"_Huuuurrrkkkk_…"

"You're back," Usagi squealed with joy. "You're back!"

Chibi-Usa sucked in the precious air of life after Usagi finally released her from the death grasp. "Yup," she wheezed. Ami, Minako, Haruka, Michiru and Mamoru came to the door to see what the commotion was all about, each making their own silly expression of surprised shock as they recognized the young woman who had grown so much since the last time they saw her. "Hey, daddy," she said to Mamoru, who was the last of them to finally realize it.

"Chi… Chibi-Usa-_chan!_" He stammered as his look of shock turned into a beaming smile.

"Wait a minute," Usagi said she walked up to her future daughter. "How come you're taller than me?"

"Oh," she replied, rolling her shoulders back and standing up as straight as she could. "You see, my…"

"_Oi!_" Usagi grabbed her by the kimono, staring at her chest. "Why are yours bigger that mine?!"

"Uhh…"

Rei and Ami simultaneously smacked Usagi on the back of the head.

"Nice bonus," another familiar voice said.

The group looked up into one of the trees and saw a young woman in neon green running shorts, a white tank top, and oddly, a navy blue beret that seemed to have an authentic French feel to it. With a smile, Hotaru Tomoe leapt from her branch to the ground, holding a futuristic looking device that looked like a metallic hot pink business card case with a black dot. "Got 'em all, and Usagi-_san's_, um… outburst, I guess. Too bad Rei-_san's_ wearing a surgical mask…"

Ami and Usagi were the only two Senshi who had any contact with her after the post-Galaxia break up. All the others took a moment to marvel how the Senshi of Death and Rebirth had grown from a sickly girl to a healthy young woman, although she was still skinny and petite, not really filled out yet. Her dark hair still sported the bowl cut that she'd had ever since she stepped into the spotlight during the Deathbuster crisis.

"Is that a camera," Ami moaned. "You got that all on film?"

"This doesn't use film, per se, but yes, Ami-_san_. Every second of it." She winked one of her soft, dark eyes.

"How could you," Michiru said flatly, although her smile seemed mostly genuine. Yet, a touch of fear hinted in her eyes. Haruka nodded, but then avoided making eye contact.

"It was my idea," a third familiar voice said, and the Soldier of Revolution leapt in a spinning somersault from the Shrine's roof, flying over the group and landing between Chibi-Usa and Hotaru. Setsuna Meioh wore a periwinkle purple business suit, opting for a pantsuit instead of her usual miniskirt and blouse. Her long, grassy green hair was worn the way she always wore it, with a single bun on top. Her smile seemed somewhat forced as there was little humor in her dark garnet eyes. "Nice to see all of you. Now, if I'm not mistaken, there's a meeting taking place, and it would be a good idea if…" Setsuna looked at the group again. "Where is the Journeyman?"

"He's in mourning," Makoto said softly. "He was ambushed and I came to his aid. They were only trying to capture him, but they would've killed Rei-_chan_. I killed one of them. Before Tetsuya fled from the Klijargans, the two had been close friends."

Rei nodded. "He's… um…" She looked at Usagi and Ami. The three seemed to have an instant understanding that no one really trusted Haruka and Michiru's true intentions just yet. And while Setsuna seemed to have turned a new leaf after the battle with the Death Busters, she had tried her hardest to kill a defenseless twelve-year-old girl before that. Best to play it safe…

"Let's just say that he's in a fragile state right now," Ami said softly. "We'll have to conduct business without him for now."

"Yeah," Minako said. "But, regardless, it's good to see everyone here. It's been a busy Saturday."

"This isn't acceptable," Setsuna said. "We have a new enemy we hardly know a thing about that has attacked three times in the last two days. They could be mounting another attack as we speak."

"They won't come," Tetsuya said from the hallway as he came to the door. "Not for a few days, at least." Tetsuya eyed the three strangers and scowled at Usagi. "You're loud." There was no hint of a smile in his eyes as he bore his gaze into her.

"Oh," she said softly. "Sorry about…"

Tetsuya looked at the three new arrivals. "Sailor Pluto, Sailor Saturn, and since we're out of planets, I'll guess another Sailor Moon. A cousin?"

The three bowed, and Chibi-Usa spoke. "Rin Tsukino. Cousin, and future Sailor Moon. Nice to meet you, Mr. Journeyman."

No one corrected her. Tetsuya had so much on his mind at that moment. The admission of the existence of time travel might overload him. An unspoken consensus seemed to agree that they would ease him into the actual truth of Chibi-Usa's heritage. As of that moment, however, her name was just Rin Tsukino, and she was Usagi's cousin.

Tetsuya straightened up and bowed a quick, shallow bow. "I don't mean any disrespect." He sat on the front step of the porch and hunched over in a slouch. "I'm not doing so well right now." He motioned with his bandaged arm. "Two breaks in less than twenty-four hours. And as you heard, I… lost…" he shook his head and stopped himself mid-sentence.

"I'm sorry for your dilemma," Setsuna said, sitting down next to him. "But you were one of them, once…"

Tetsuya glared at her. "Don't ever say that again," he growled. "I'm not a filthy Klijargan. I never was, and I never will be one of them!"

Setsuna nodded in an apologetic bow. "I meant no offense. What I mean is that you know more about them than any of us do. Anything you can say, no matter how insignificant it might seem, could help us greatly."

Tetsuya shrugged. "Very well. The other one who attacked us… she was his fiancé, Jihanna. She must decide whether to…" Tetsuya squeezed his eyes as he suppressed a sob. "She must either continue alone or concede to the next group. Unless they've forsaken what little amount of respect they have for their ancient ways, that group will be lead by a woman named Telleschya. The two are close friends." He took a moment to wipe his eyes. Makoto sat on Tetsuya's other side and put her arm around his shoulder. "Telleschya will be in mourning with Jihanna. The earliest they anyone will attack is on Tuesday. The latest is next Sunday."

"One lone warrior against eleven?" Setsuna asked. "Twelve if you're battle ready by then."

"She'll either attack Usagi directly when she's separated from the group, or take a hostage to force a confrontation." He looked at the eleven warriors with red-rimmed eyes. "Don't smother her, but always keep someone with her. She's safe in her house because it's considered profane to them, even the ones who don't truly believe in their own religion." He sighed and continued. "But outside, she's fair game. Someone needs to pick her up and drop her off from school. Have one of the cats with her at all times. If her family decides to go on a trip or go out to dinner, they can use their magic to convince them to stay in and have a cookout in the back yard, instead."

"This Telleschya. Is she also a friend from before you left?"

"More like a guardian angel. I would've died during the initial training if it wasn't for her."

"Why did you leave if…"

"We're done," he said sternly. After a moment, he looked at Setsuna. "Done for now," he said softly. He looked at Usagi and Rei. "Group meeting Monday after school?"

They both nodded and the rest of the group followed suit. Tetsuya tried standing up, but fell down. "I got'cha," Makoto said as she gently hoisted him up by his good arm. She put her arm around his waist and helped him back inside.

* * *  
"Hey," Hotaru said as she ran towards the convertible. "Wait up!"

Haruka looked away for a moment, a sheepish smile crossing her face as she looked back at the little girl she had fostered. Then murdered. "You've really grown."

Michiru beamed a genuine smile. "Not the sickly girl we first met. I bet you have a boyfriend by now."

Hotaru giggled. "I'm actually working on one, right now. He'll get the hints soon enough." She looked over at Haruka, who seemed nervous. "Aunty Haruka, what's wrong?"

"Oh," Michiru said. "She still feels bad about the whole Galaxia mess. We… both do."

Hotaru frowned. "_You_ feel bad? Had I been a better partner, a better niece, I would've caught on and joined you. I truly believed that the two of you were traitors. How do you think _I_ feel, knowing that I so easily doubted two of the people closest to me? Knowing that had I caught on, Setsuna would've also picked up, and the four of us could've ended it then and there. You're not the only one with blood on your hands!"

Michiru laughed. "What a unique perspective."

Hotaru shrugged. "I can see why _you're_ not bent out of shape. You can be as heartless as the sea when you need to be."

Michiru stopped laughing.

"And I understand why Setsuna would've believed it. She's pretty paranoid, just like the two of you, but she hides it well." She smiled. "Why, I'll bet the two of you would've come at us full force had we been the ones to pretend to take up Galaxia's offer. Now that would be a twist. Hmmm…" She tilted her head to the side as her mind spun up alternate scenarios about how the situation could have unfolded.

"And then we would've had to kill you instead, and then I would've easily taken Galaxia out…" The smile faded. "But, that would've required the Power of Death, and it's something I can only use once." She pursed her lips. "Wow. That would've been awful. You see, me and 'Suna wouldn't have taken your Star Seeds. You both would've gotten the business end of my Silence Glaive. Then of course, the whole Power of Death angle would've come into play. And then the Light of Hope wouldn't have brought back the three of us, the Inner Senshi, Princess Kakyuu or Mamoru-_san_." She made eye contact with both of them, ignoring their open mouthed stares. "So, actually, it's for the best the way things worked out. If Chibi-Usa-_chan_ was gone forever, well…" She just nodded as she let the end of her sentence dangle. After a moment of silence, she did a handstand on the hood of the car.

"Why are you doing that," Haruka asked.

"Just making sure you two aren't in a waking coma. Oops, there goes my hat!" She hopped down and picked it up, brushed it off and placed it back on her head. "It's really French. Made in France, bought in France, and… um… I guess that's it. French wise…"

"You've been hanging around Usagi a lot," Michiru mused, "haven't you?"

"For the first year after my aunties did a Houdini on me." She sprang forward and hugged them both with one arm. "I really missed you both! I don't have any cousins or siblings or relatives. It took my dad two whole months to locate a valid next of kin for me for some legal stuff, and she lives in Singapore!"

"Aunties..." Michiru asked, slightly annoyed by the term that could be used to describe an old, unmarried woman.

"I preferred Poppa Haruka," Haruka said.

"Well," Hotaru said, "it was a very confusing second childhood for me. Still is. I still have dreams where I'm getting married, and there's another woman getting married with me to our husband." She released the hug and backed away. "Sorry, I'm probably still ripe from the plane ride. Ever been to Atlanta in America? I thought that airport was the _worst!_ But then we got rerouted to Chicago. Then, Los Angelas. I thought it couldn't get any worse, and then, we got rerouted from Hawai'i to Guam. At least the people were friendly there. It's more that I can say for the American places we got bounced around to. Oh, wait, Guam technically is American." She shook her head. "I'd better get going before I pass out on the pavement. Bye!" And without another word, she whirled around and ran towards the train station that would take her home to her father, and some much needed sleep.

"Maybe she has A.D.D." Haruka said.

"I'd still love her all the same," Michiru replied as she put her head on Haruka's shoulder. "Looks like she's having a normal childhood, afterall. Thanks for facing off against her. Had it been me who killed her, it would've broken me forever."

Haruka put her arm around Michiru's waist. "I don't believe that. You're the stronger one of us. I'm just the more vocal one. If I can survive doing something like that, it'd be a piece of cake for you."

Michiru left Haruka's grasp, sat in the car, buckled her seatbelt and buried her head in her hands as she began to sob.

"Woah," Haruka said as she leapt into the driver's seat. "Babe, what's up?"

"Just… drive…"

Without a moment's hesitation, the 2000GT roared to life and screeched through the streets of Juuban.

*.*.*

Michiru settled down enough to admit that she was afraid that Hotaru would never truly forgive them, and receiving her pardon tore down over a year of fears and doubts, which came crashing like a tidal wave. Haruka bit back her own weeping. She didn't weep. Maybe she squeezed out an occasional tear of fury or despair when it seemed that Usagi had doomed everything, but the Warrior of the Wind did _not_ weep.

The two postponed their nice meal, wolfing down ramen noodles and dried fish in the tub before passing out on top of the sheets, not even fully dried off. They would not awake again until past noon on Sunday.

The rest of Saturday went out like a sleeping lamb, and Sunday was also pleasantly uneventful. Ami finally opened her birthday present from Tetsuya, a fancy, expensive Viking toaster oven. She was touched by the thoughtfulness of it, as she loved sandwiches because she could eat with one hand while reading a book with the other. The idea of toasting the bread was a very nice thought. However, she brought it over to Makoto's on Sunday evening, and conveniently forgot to take it back with her. It seemed like the right thing to do.

Monday's arrival shocked Usagi to her core. Omi's memorial had been taken down, a subtle, yet harsh reminder that life moved on. While glancing at the empty desk next to hers, she silently cried to herself as she got a perfect score on her vectors test, thanks to Tetsuya's insightful help. During lunch, she blushed and whined when she finally realized the double meaning of 'beating off,' remembering her discussion at the dance. Then the laughter came with a few stray tears, her last memories of Omi in life being so silly and so in character for the both of them.

Tetsuya was distant during class and didn't join the others for lunch, missing the masterpiece sandwich with toasted bread that Makoto and Ami shared. He dodged Ami and Makoto again on the train ride home. Makoto began to wonder if Tetsuya was going to go back on his word. Her fears were only partially put to rest when she saw him, waiting with Rei at the Shrine. He was curt, but far from friendly as the others filed in. _He must hate me for killing his friend…_

To no one's surprise, Usagi stumbled in last. And then, it happened.

_No…_ Makoto almost felt that it would've been better for Tetsuya to disappear from the meeting. Instead, he was there, slowly chanting in a bizarre language she assumed was Klijargan. After a moment, the chants stopped. His expression was empty, like he was an unfeeling shell. As he looked at the other eleven members assembled, his gaze showed none of the warmth or familiarity as he looked at her. There was no love, no anger, no passion, nothing that made Tetsuya himself.

"I guess you've been waiting since the weekend," he started softly. "Just so we're all on the same page, let me start from the beginning." He kept his gaze fixed on a space between Haruka and Michiru's faces. "I was born on a world called Aschothiyl seventeen years ago. When I was eight, my family was murdered, and I survived working as a drug runner and a lookout for dealers for six years. When I was almost fifteen, I… found a new family." He whispered another chant before continuing. "They were taken away when the Klijargans attacked. I fled to the outskirts of the city as they bombed the rubble for two more days. They're thorough like that. Then, the infantry arrived. They came upon a group of survivors I was with. I hid, but the screams of two girls they were torturing me drove me into a state of fury that Usagi saw when I killed Jorvist."

He closed his eyes and sat silent for a moment. Usagi opened her mouth to speak, but Ami put her hand on her shoulder to stop her. After another chant through clenched teeth, he resumed. "I… was able to… copy their abilities and use an energy attack from behind, knocking them out. After that, I… I crushed their skulls with a rock before I was knocked out by another one of their warriors who snuck up on me. When I woke up, I was in a metal cage with a viewing monitor that… that showed me the broken bodies of the two girls I had tried to save. They were still alive. When the Klijargans saw that I was awake, they ejected them out into space, and I had to watch. They were probably only nine or ten."

After another chant, he broke his gaze from the space between Haruka and Michiru and made eye contact with the other eleven. "I loved Heggith Cloik like a brother. He and Jihanna were going to have a family together. Me and Telleschya were going to be the godparents of their first-born." He shook his head and said another chant, wiping away a stray tear. "T-Telleschya protected me when I went through… their military training course called The Breaking. When she was reassigned, Jihanna took her place as my protector. Heggith treated me like his own brother." He closed his eyes and sneered as he stuttered another chant.

"Even now, I hold him as accountable for those two little girls as the bastard who pushed the airlock release. Even the best of them… t-turn a blind eye to the atrocities of the Cleanser faction. He wouldn't have… hesitated to kill any of you or take one of your loved ones hostage to force a confrontation. And fate as my witness, he… he would have killed that hostage if you ignored his challenge. I h-hope… damn it…"

He buried his face in his hands and muttered another emotion suppression chant. Then he repeated it as he wiped his red-rimmed eyes. "I hope you all understand what you're dealing with. Rei told me about how Jorvist was truly changed by Usagi's healing light, and he _still_ tried to kill her." He glared at Usagi. "You can't save everyone," he hissed. "They will not hesitate to put your mother, father or brother under the knife, and they will deliver on their promise if you don't show up to fight!"

"Okay," she said softly.

"That's it? 'Okay' is all you…" Tetsuya shook his head. "Never mind. I… don't have much left right now." He quickly said another chant.

"You could write it down," Hotaru said softly. She shrank back when Tetsuya's gaze landed on her. "I mean, if you want. And you could share it if you felt you were ready."

Tetsuya's gaze softened. "I guess," he said, somewhat genuinely.

"Perhaps we should focus on now," Michiru interjected calmly. "That way, we'll be ready for tomorrow."

Tetsuya nodded. After a moment, he seemed a bit more relaxed, although he occasional said another quick chant to keep the tide of grief at bay.

"So," the girl whose current nickname was Rin started, "What of the next group? What do you mean by group? So far, it's just been a pair of onesies, and then a twosie."

"Six women." He looked at Rei. "_Shybolia_."

"You never explained that," she said. Rei had gotten a quick pick me up on Sunday with the help of Hotaru's greatly improved healing capabilities. She was beaming without her surgical mask or the weight of healing several grievous injuries and a severe case of the stomach flu.

"It means Emulator. I thought you were all Emulators when I first met you. Their foul magic is what allows Klijargans to learn a foreign language in a matter of hours. But their abilities are different than mine." He looked at the other eleven warriors. "They have the power to steal your abilities. You will be rendered powerless, and they will be able to do your strongest attacks without any problems."

"I find…" Luna said from his side.

"Gah!" Tetsuya jumped. Although his arm was still mending, it could be moved slightly, avoiding any pains from jerking around when startled. "Didn't we go over this already?" He snapped angrily.

Over the weekend, Tetsuya had been officially introduced to the cats. He explained to them that on Aschothiyl, an old wives tail about talking cats had terrified him as a child. He still had the occasional nightmare of a talking cat stealing his soul and sending it to hell. They were always black cats with a golden half-circle on their foreheads that turned into a demon's eye when it stole a child's soul. He let Luna know not to sneak up on him.

Luna hunkered down in a display of shame. "My apologies. But as I was about to say, I find it highly unlikely that an outsider would be able to use a Senshi ability. Those are bound by blood, and destiny."

Tetsuya stood up. "Mars! Fire Soul!" A tiny spiral of flame sputtered a few feet in front of him, flaring out before it got half way to the space between Haruka and Michiru.

"Impossible…"

"Apparently not." His lip trembled and he muttered another mantra. He took a few breaths to calm himself down again. "It takes them only a second to steal your powers. We'll outnumber them two to one, exactly. So, pick a battle buddy, and when the fighting starts, stay with them."

"Who should we all pair up with," Usagi asked.

"Excuse me," Haruka said, calmly, but a strong hint of irritation in her voice. "But he doesn't have the authority, or the right to make that decision."

"She's right," Tetsuya said as he sat down. "Or the knowledge. You all know yourselves better than anyone else. I don't know enough to make the call, and as Haruka rightly pointed out, I have no right to just barge into your inner circle and make mandates." He nodded at her, and after a moment, she smiled back at him. Apparently, the two weren't holding a grudge.

"Me and Puu-_chan_," Rin sang, smiling mischievously.

"You _know_ I hate that name…" Setsuna mumbled as she was hug-tackled, allegedly called a glomp, by Rin.

"We're definitely a couple," Michiru mused as Haruka smiled at her.

"I think I know who my battle buddy should be," Mamoru said softly as he slid his arm around Usagi's waist.

"Just don't wait until the last second to show up," Usagi cooed.

"How about," Rei mused. "A song of fire and water?"

"Or fire and ice," Ami replied.

Rin and Setsuna smiled at each other, but said nothing as the impact of a certain set of novels hadn't become prevalent by 1998.

"Mako-_chan_," Minako said. "I know you're all lovey dovey with Tetsuya, but we'd be a better pair in a fight."

Makoto frowned. "If you say so, but I think your whip is trying to kill me."

"Well," Hotaru mused. "I guess the two newest members of the club pair up." She tipped her authentic French beret at Tetsuya, and saw that he wasn't there. "Um… how did he sneak past all of us?"

Makoto turned to the empty spot next to her. How had all eleven warriors, and two magical cats, have missed him?

*.*.*

Tetsuya hadn't gone far. He had silently teleported to his room in the Shine's house. He slid the door shut and buried his head in the cheap pillow of his cheap futon, muffling his sobs and cries. He had mourned the passing of his friend in silent privacy, but then he had to relive the horrifying days of the invasion of Aschothiyl and his capture by the brutal Klijargans.

He had loved Heggith. He had never known what it was like to have a brother until Telleschya introduced him to Jihanna Melvi and Heggith Cloik when she got reassigned. He almost decided to stay on and play the hand he had been dealt, as a so-called messiah, and eventually the godfather of a baby one day. But it all changed on a world called Yutego. Before he could remember one of the worst moments of his entire life, a knock on the door yanked him back to Tokyo.

"Tetsuya," Makoto said softly through the door.

He said nothing. He was unable to speak, barely even able to breathe as the last numbing effects of the mantras wore off.

"I'm coming in." After another moment, she opened the door and slid it shut behind her. Tetsuya buried his head under the pillow. Instead of leaving, Makoto sat down next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I'm never running out on you again, Tetsuya-_kun_. I'm here for you, now and always."

Tetsuya continued to sob silently. He took Makoto's hand into his. He laid there for what seemed like an eternity until the emotional strain pushed his spiritually exhausted body into sleep. Makoto still held his hand.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten** _TNT Knows Drama…_

The look on the medic's face said it all. Before she could even open her mouth to say it, Jihanna buried her face in Telleschya's shoulder and sobbed. Wrenching, wracking, heart crushing sobs. Her best friend, lover, and future father of her children was no more. There would be no wedding, no children, no growing old together. The demoness who called evil fire from the skies had taken him away forever.

Telleschya stayed on her feet, supporting her friend in her darkest hour. It was Telleschya's darkest hour, too. In one instant, she had lost two brothers, and a godchild that would never be born, never even be conceived. But she had to be strong. She had to be there for her best friend, whose world had been forever shattered.

Telleschya sobbed silently, her ragged breathing drowned by the screams of hatred and wails of despair from the young woman she held. It was now too late for Pethospoe. The boy from Aschothiyl could never be forgiven for his betrayal, and he was just as dead to Telleschya as Heggith was.

Thousands of miles below, the Earth turned, regardless of their sorrow.

*.*.*

Prince Segraius nel Cagerino paced back and forth, back and forth in his private chamber aboard the Goddess Spear, the flagship of the Klijargan Royal Family. Ahtnamas nel Ginjuthu, his friend since his early teenage years, was always late. However, this time was more understandable. If Jihanna Melvi, recently promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, died in battle, or conceded defeat to the next group, Ahtnamas's Emulator unit would take up the banner of the cause. That last fact scared Segraius, so every minute he could spend with Ahtnamas was that much more precious, and every second taken from that time was that much more unbearable.

"Seg," said a voice from behind, "chill out. You're making _me_ impatient, now."

Segraius looked into a tall mirror and saw the reflection of his adopted brother, Pala'din cya Cagerino. His light-hearted smile on his light skin and short blond hair contrasted deeply with Segraius's ebony skin, long braided dark hair and contemplative gaze. "Sorry, Pal. I am just anxious to see her again. It will not be long before her entire group is sent against the _Val'kuries_ if Melvi cannot conquer that witch."

"She'll do fine if it comes to that. I mean, come on! From the satellite images, only Jirghy was left standing when Jorvist attacked."

"I'm not sure that is his name anymore."

"Fine. Mr. The Journeyman."

"Regardless, Jorvist used tactics of deceit and torture. Melvi will fight with honor. I hate to say it, but sometimes honor is a disadvantage."

"But, still, if Melvi somehow fails, Ahtnamas and the other six Emulators can completely steal the powers of seven of our enemies. That will leave only the lead _Val'Kurie_ and the traitor. It will end then. Our victory is assured!"

Segraius stopped to consider that fact. Traditionally, Emulators were female warriors who could permanently steal powers from other warriors. However, they could not steal from other Emulators, and since Journeyman's powers could not be stolen because he copied the powers of others, he powers were also safe.

The traitor was the first male Emulator discovered by Klijarga, and he was a natural, just like Lady Klijarga had been ages ago. He labeled as the Great Liberator of Klijargan lore, almost a messiah of sorts. But he was no savior. He was a coward and a traitor. What an odd coincidence that he would flee to where he was supposed to lead the Klijargans to their promised world…

Then there was the lead _Val'Kurie_, called Sailor of the Moon, or something of that nature. It was strictly forbidden to take her powers, as she was vile beyond description! All things considered, it would mean that only the witch and traitor would be capable of battling the Emulators. And because of the traitor's departure, a seventh one was added back into the mix, barely completing her training in time.

Pala'din continued, interrupting Segraius's thoughs. "One more thing. Our Ahtnamas isn't exactly a virgin in the field of battle. She's an expert Lieutenant with combat experience. She's the most powerful member of her unit, only denied leadership by her so-called lack of experience when compared to Telleschya."

Segraius said nothing.

"She is one of the Blessed, like us! Combined with her powers as an Emulator, she'll probably single-handedly finish both the moon bitch and the traitor!"

The Blessed were those who could use magic naturally. Some were born Blessed, some attained it after starting out as Touched, the ones who responded to enchantments, and eventually learn to use magic without needing enchantments fused into them.

Segraius nodded. "I understand. However..."

"I know, I know. We've been together since we met her during that unplanned trip outside of the palace."

"That was nearly seven years ago, and they were always unplanned. What a beautiful young woman she has become since then."

"Damn it, man. Why don't you just tell her?"

"Tell me what," Ahtnamas said as she barged in through the small passageway. Ahtnamas was a young woman of nineteen, the same age as Segraius and Pala'din. She let her shoulder length dark brown hair hang freely. She wore the same military uniform as Segraius and Pala'din, except hers was red, denoting her as a warrior in contrast to Segraius and Pala'din's royal purple. And as she was a woman, she had a red miniskirt over her leggings and a shawl to cover her chest for the sake of modesty.

Segraius showed no shock to her sudden entrance. "I am sorry, but I was the one who got your skirt caught in that rotor blade three years ago."

"You..." Ahtnamas started laughing. "Ugh! I thought it was Pala'din who did it!"

"Sure," Pala'din said blandly, "just blame the white guy."

"Do you know how humiliating it is for a girl to go through that? I was standing half-naked in front of your father's personal sky guard."

"You looked good, too." Pala'din winked.

Ahtnamas looked over at Segraius, who also wore a slight smile, and shook her head. "You men are all the same. You get some telekinetic abilities, and what do you do? You de-skirt a girl! You two are just sick. Praise Goddess I wore short leggings instead of loin cloth that cold day!"

Segraius pointed to Pala'din. "It was still his idea."

"You're the one who tugged at her clothes," Pala'din shot back. The three broke out in laughter.

"So," Pala'din said, still chuckling, "where to now?"

"How about the anti-grav chambers," Ahtnamas mused "This time I'm wearing pants."

"You know we're not supposed to be there, right?"

"That's the point. It's been too long since we last got into trouble."

"It's been a week!"

"And that's too long."

Segraius shook his head. "I need to be serious from here on out. My father is on edge. I am already disinherited. I do not mind giving him another reason to hate me, but it is the two of you I am scared for."

"It's not fair for him to hate you so much. It's not your fault your mother died."

"Ahtnamas, he is insane. He was a suicidal royal until he met my mother. After knowing her for only six short weeks, he married her, and his life was turned around. Only a month after their wedding, she was pregnant with me. Then, only nine short months later, she was killed in a hovercraft accident. I survived in the womb and was birthed, and her death caused my father to lose his fragile sense of rationale. If not for the benevolence of Vlarokh, the military would have removed my father from the throne long ago."

Ahtnamas sighed. "What should we do, then?"

"I know you do not like drinking, so why not just try some sparring?"

"Sure, let's do it. I'd better make use of the powers I got from those warrior on Gynostyriu." She started for the door, then suddenly doubled back. "I just can't believe that I'm gonna be under the knife if Melvi doesn't come through. I mean, sure, there's seven of us, but, the _Val'kurie_! For many millennia our race has dreamed of conquering her, but now, it's finally that day, and I might be one of the soldiers accomplishing that prophecy."

"Hey," Pala'din interjected, "don't worry about it. You're gonna do just fine, cutie! I'm sure Journeyman will stop dead in his tracks when he sees your beauty."

Ahtnamas smirked. "Looks have nothing to do with it, but I did catch him eyeballing me a few times, that little pervert…"

"You can hardly blame him," Segraius said with a wink. The two stared at each other for a moment. "We… should be on our way."

Ahtnamas shrugged. "Alirght… _HEY!_"

Pala'din chuckled as she shoved past Ahtnamas and darted through the hall. She dashed after him. The chase was on!

*.*.*

Back on Earth, Monday finished in silence. Makoto tucked Tetsuya in before leaving him in his room, kissing his hand, as his head was still underneath his pillow. She returned to her petty one-room apartment and slept a dreamless sleep. The other Senshi had dreams that were mercifully nonconsequential before their cruel alarms woke them up. Even Usagi managed to wake up just before Shingo had another opportunity to pour water on her head.

Tetsuya leapt on top of Makoto's back at the train station, getting a short piggyback ride to the gate of the school. The other classmates either stared awkwardly, or jeered as the two held hands. Although there was still a look of burden in his eyes, Tetsuya's smile was visibly genuine. School was school, classes were classes, and lunch was enjoyable again. The Juuban Quartet officially indoctrinated Slouch as the fifth member into their little circle. He got a kick out of the nickname, as he was a habitual sloucher, after all. Then, classes ended and pre-made plans split them up.

Usagi was the chief marinadess for her family's impulsive backyard cookout. Makoto and Minako had a girl's night out, and Ami was finally able to shadow her mother for part of a shift at the hospital. This left Tetsuya alone to return to the Shrine and officially be introduced as the newest resident. Her grandfather was less than pleased, as Tetsuya seemed to lack the charm and looks he preferred in potential candidates. As for Yuuichirou, he didn't seem too threatened by him. After all, Tetsuya's greatest physical feature was merely the fact that he was a _gaijin_, and he probably wouldn't be asked to model for any local merchants anytime soon…

This allowed Tetsuya and Yuuichirou to become fast friends. Tetsuya's story about Rei's expression when she spoke about her 'Yuui-_chan_' at Subway when they first met helped to ease any sense of paranoia that Yuuichirou might have about Tetsuya trying to steal his beloved Rei-_chan_ away from him. Meanwhile, Rei's grandfather chided her for not finding a better looking, taller _gaijin_ to become a resident of the Shrine.

The bucktoothed purple carrot bandit made a few nocturnal appearances, and Tuesday became Wednesday. The bandit's pesky schemes washed away as the dreams were forgotten the moment the Senshi opened their eyes. Once again, school was school, and lunch was somber as Usagi's mother had packed her a lunch just like the lunch Omi had offered her the first day back from summer break. Usagi became too upset to eat, and the other four joined her in silent tribute to the fallen student, putting away their mostly untouched lunches.

Ami and Minako schemed a way to share their wealth with Makoto on a shopping trip while Tetsuya walked Usagi home. They said nothing, both still sore from the sting that reminded them of Omi's death. Usagi suddenly hugged Tetsuya as she got to her front door, telling him about her perfect test score and warning him that he'd probably be invited over for dinner.

Tetsuya kept looking over his shoulder as he darted through ally ways and yards as he sprinted back to the Shrine, fearful that a vengeful Jihanna Melvi might strike. He had so much to live for, and so much to die for. He couldn't remember a point in his life where so much was at stake for him. He leapt over the wall of the Shrine and accidentally landed on top of Rin. Although he was embarrassed, he was also genuinely relieved to see her, as well as Setsuna and Hotaru.

*.*.*

_Click!_ Hotaru smiled as she got another perfect shot. _Another one for the scrapbook!_

"Oh, sorry," Tetsuya said, blushing slightly and grinning from ear to ear as he rolled off of Rin. She did a springing backwards handstand to get to her feet. Hotaru ignored the impulse to get a compromising photo of her as her skirt flared up from her acrobatics. _Maybe next time…_

"You don't seem too sorry," Rin said with a friendly smile.

Tetsuya missed the show, as he was brushing himself off. "Oh. I'm just relieved to see you all. I was alone after escorting Usagi back home, and I was getting a little nervous that I'd get jumped."

"I'm here for you, battle buddy," Hotaru said as she tipped her fabulous, authentically French beret.

"Oh, we got paired up?" He finally pushed himself to his feet.

"Yeah. You did a really good Houdini the other day."

He shrugged. "I… I'm still a guy. I don't like crying in front of other people."

Hotaru and Rin's smiles ebbed away. Setsuna put her a gentle hand on Tetsuya's shoulder. "You were very brave, saying everything you did. We have six pairings now, and we are all on the alert."

Tetsuya smiled. "So, what brings you all to my new…" He took a moment, and looked away, the smile growing as he whispered, "… home." He looked back and chucked. "I have a home, now. Aw, c'mon…" he said as looks of sorrow and pity crossed the faces of the three Senshi. "I throw my own tearful pity parties in private, thank you very much. I'm sure you're all here for a reason, even if it's just for rest and relaxation."

"Ah," Rin said, forcing a bubbly smile. "Okay, Mr. Tough Guy in Public. We're here to talk to you. And since you seem to be in a good mood, now's a great time to just blow your mind!"

Tetsuya frowned. "Um… okay."

"We should go inside," Hotaru said, motioning towards the Shrine with her head, a bad habit she picked up from her time with Usagi. It was then reinforced during her extended stay in Europe. Japanese people didn't normally use bodily gestures to convey such things to the extent that Hotaru was. But then again, magical girls were hardly normal… "C'mon, Tetsuya-_san_."

"Drop the formalities."

Hotaru beamed a genuine, pearly-white, toothy smile. "Okay, Tetsuya-_kun!_"

"Um…" Hotaru hooked her arm around Tetsuya's and forcibly lead him inside.

The three Senshi, dressed in uniformed blouses with a loose mini-skirt that seemed to favor their hair color, sat on Rei's couch after Rin pulled up a stool for Tetsuya to sit on. "So, um, ever hear of time travel?"

Tetsuya smirked. "Are you writing a novel?"

Rin frowned. "Um, okay, what about the possibility of time travel?"

Tetsuya shrugged. "Don't get too bent out of shape over the science of it. Time travel isn't possible in reality. Just make it sound feasible through cleaver writing and focus more on the storyline and the evolution of the characters."

"Well, shit…"

"_Spit_," Setsuna said, correcting her.

_Here we go…_ Hotaru discreetly put her camera at the ready.

"Tetsuya," Rin said softly. "You're speaking from a scientific point, not a magical one."

"Oh," he said, another smile on his face. "Magic and science fiction! That's really cool, although you'd potentially just be aggravating the followers of two genres. People tend to nit-pick more than they look at the good stuff."

"Alright, to the point… my birth name is Usagi Tsukino, not Rin Tsukino."

Tetsuya shrugged. "Um… I don't see what this has to do with time travel. Lots of cousins have the same name. I think this is especially true of Greek families."

_I thought he was supposed to be smart…_

"For the love of…" Rin sighed.

"Rin and I are from the future," Setsuna blatantly said. "She's the future, unborn daughter of Usagi Tsukino and Mamoru Chiba. We use magic to navigate the Gates of Time."

Tetsuya said nothing, as his fair complexion grew even more visibly pale.

Hotaru thought it was best to not take a picture of him, at least not openly.

"We didn't want to overload you on Saturday," Rin said. "We didn't mean to deceive you or anything. Really."

"You…" he said softly. "You can go… back in time?"

The look of longing in his eyes broke Setsuna's heart. "Only to certain points," she said. "There are rules, checks and balances. I've _tried_ to intervene, and I've been held at bay by omnipotent forces. I've…" She shook her head and breathed a slow, calming breath. Then she took another, as if suppressing a memory from long ago. "I would do anything to save a lost friend from ancient times, but I am powerless. It's not just because of a set of rules. There are actual barriers in place that prevent me from doing so."

"Well… then… just…" Tetsuya ran his hands through his hair. He started chanting, but stopped short. "No… no more…" He slid off of the stool and onto his knees, gently rocking back and forth. "_Ren, Pyou, Tou, Sha, Kai, Jin, Retsu, Zai, Zen._" He stopped rocking and silently repeated the Japanese mantra. "_Ren, Pyou, Tou, Sha, Kai, Jin, Retsu, Zai, Zen._" He wiped his eyes and got back on his stool.

"You okay," Hotaru asked softly.

"It's… different than the Klijargan mantras. I… feel centered. The pain is still there, but, it's… well, it's balanced."

"Why is it so upsetting?"

He frowned. "For an instant, I thought I could… go back and save my mother."

Setsuna nodded, an eternity of sorrow in her garnet eyes. "If it were only in my power." She also seemed to have something caught in her eye and that moment.

"Let's just move on. You're from the future. There's a reason you're telling me this."

She nodded. "As Sailor Pluto, I have the ability to travel to certain points in time. As the time stream shifts, old points are closed off and new ones open. This one opened up. Rin and I didn't come here as reinforcements. We came only for a visit. Immediately upon our arrival, we learned of the Klijargan menace, and thanks to a few trinkets of ours, we knew that Hotaru was going to be returning to Japan at Narita Airport. We whisked her away from there, and on the way to the Shrine, the two schemed how to take advantage of our return for less than noble reasons. It was merely my idea to record it." A hint of a smile formed on her lips.

"So, just the two are from the future." He thought for a moment, and looked at his battle buddy. "Speaking of journals…"

"How's it coming," Hotaru asked.

"I haven't started mine yet. But did any of you keep a record of your exploits as Senshi? I know even less than the fan boys and conspiracy nuts. I know your identities, but as far as your battles, I only know little snippets of info."

"Ask Ami-_san_," Hotaru replied. "She's very organized and probably would've wanted to keep track of stuff, just in case we needed to cross reference something to gain the upper hand in a conflict."

"Ami-_chan_…" He smiled slightly. "I haven't harassed her in awhile." He looked back at the trio. "Is there anything else?"

"Nope," Rin said. "Just call me Rin, though. I… I don't like being called little bunny anymore."

"Little bunny?"

"They used to call me Chibi-Usa because my mom and I had the same name. Things have changed in the last seven years of my life since I was here. 'Course, only two years passed for them."

Hotaru placed her head on Rin's shoulder. "Two long, lonely years."

Rin put her arm around Hotaru and hugger her. "I missed you, too!"

"Well," Tetsuya said softly. "I… I think I wanna start on that journal, now."

"Sure," Hotaru said with a smile as Rin let go. "What'cha gonna start with?"

Tetsuya didn't return the smile. "Something that doesn't encourage much smiling."

Hotaru's smile died away. "Oh…" She stood and bowed. Rin and Setsuna followed suit, and Tetsuya returned the bows.

"Wait," Tetsuya said as Hotaru was about to lead the trio out the door. "Um, sorry about the glare the other day, and… thanks."

Hotaru smiled a warm, gentle smile at him. That time, the smile was returned. Without another word, the trio exited.

*.*.*

Klijargans had a different view on jewelry and cosmetics than westernized civilizations on Earth. Men wore piercings, rings, and necklaces that would be considered effeminate to a conservative of a first world nation. However, there were other reasons why Tetsuya had kept his locket hidden away.

They had seized it from him after the two girls he had so desperately tried to save were cruelly disposed of. After he completed The Breaking and had his suit fused into his body, the locket was returned to him, and it was the first item he used the absorption enchantment on. Very rarely did he ever take out his locket, preferring to keep it inside of his body, becoming one with it.

After several minutes of staring at a blank sheet of paper in a cheap, ninety Yen notebook, he summoned the locket for the first time on Earth. Small, silver and circular, the silver had tarnished and needed a good polishing. A worn button on top would open it, revealing a picture of him when he was seven on one side, and a picture of his mother holding him as an infant on the opposite. To someone who knew no different, it looked like a fob watch when closed.

He looked at the button again. It had been worn since the day he took it off of his mother's body. She had opened it often while he was away at school, probably worrying about him, and rightly so. He was tormented on a regular basis by the bullies, claiming he should have been discarded in a dumpster for being so small and weak. But it was another reminder of how strong her love for him had been.

He touched the button, but he didn't press it. It had only been opened three times since he became the locket's owner nine years ago. The first time was a few days after his mother and uncle were murdered, and his first full meal since then had brought him out of his sustained state of shock. The second time was when he showed the locket to his infant daughter, so she could see with her developing eyes the grandmother she would never be able to meet in real life. And then he opened it one last time a few days after his final confrontation with The Monster in the dream world. It was to say goodbye to her. Was there a reason to open it a fourth time? No. Would there ever be one?

_Not today…_ The locket was once again absorbed into his body, distributed across his form and divided at the atomic level, along with his sword and his suit. He then chanted the nine words of power, wondering how long they would suffice him before he came crawling back to the temporary numbness of the Klijargan mantras.

_Where do I start?_ Obviously, if it was a work of non-fiction, why not skip the wordy forewords and prologues and just go back to the very beginning? Tetsuya began writing about the day he was conceived; the day his teenaged mother was ravaged by a man he had never met.

*.*.*

Ahtnamas slowly entered the office of the lead Emulator, Telleschya nel Ikyuri, and swallowed hard. Was she being pulled from the team because of her stunt in the galleys the week before? "You called, ma'am?"

"I'm not a Blessed officer like you, so just call me Telleschya. Or boss, if you prefer. That's what the other ones call me." A young woman of twenty-two years looked up. The sun's rays cut through the small window in her office, reflecting off of her perfectly smooth face and made her brown eyes and dark hair shine. Ahtnamas knew that Telleschya never wore any cosmetics, although no one would ever believe her if she said so. Telleschya's features that made men go wild were natural. But woman to woman, Ahtnamas saw the sorrow she hid deep.

"I… I'm not holding onto any hope for my friend," she continued. "She wishes to be with her Heggith again. Barring a miracle, I believe she will die whenever she makes her move against the _Val'kureis_."

"I'm so sorry to hear that," Ahtnamas replied, barely above a whisper.

Telleschya nodded. "Regardless, life goes on. We must be ready to take up the banner of our nation. This will be a chance to shed the negative pretences forced upon us. Our caste will finally be seen as equals. Hopefully, they will no longer force girls with our gift into the service, as we are the only type of Klijargan born soldier that is still conscripted."

Ahtnamas nodded and relaxed, knowing that she knew would still have a chance to take part in history.

"Let me cut to the chase. Why aren't you on the Goddess Spear with Segraius and Paladin?"

"I thought I should be with my unit."

"No offense, but you've never really fit in with those wretches. They're powerful and talented, but they disgrace our cache, not that it ever held much honor in the first place. I'm glad I'm their leader, and not one of their comrades. Someone like you should be with your real friends. And no, this has nothing to do with the fact that you're officially an officer, either."

"You… think so?"

"You've never been in battle before, have you?"

Ahtnamas took no offense. Her exploits as a regular member of the Blessed were largely swept under the rug, as she was also a _Shybolia_… "I have. Twice."

"Did you kill an enemy?"

"Three. Two, I released their souls into nothingness. The other, I robbed her of her powers, killing her on the inside, leaving an empty shell. But, I can serve my empire better because of her loss."

Telleschy nodded approvingly. "You may die down there. We all might. Our enemy is powerful, resourceful and clever. And the traitor gives them the power of knowledge as well. There is not much we can do to surprise them. No matter the odds, they seem to be favored."

Ahtnamas nodded silently. "Why should our final testament be easy? We…"

"Regardless, you should be with the ones who mean the most to you."

Ahtnamas frowned. "What about you, boss?"

She shook her head. "The only person I would've wished to be with is in the camp of our enemy, and… he is dead to me, now. When Heggith was pronounced dead, I lost two brothers. And now, it seems I will lose a sister, as well. But, I'll make new friends and start a family of my own once Earth is conquered. And if I die, I'll be in Goddess's domain. I have nothing to say good-bye to, nothing left to lose, but everything to gain."

A look of pain shot across Ahtnamas's face. "I hope you have better luck when we've won."

"Thanks, Captain. Now, get out of here before those little tramps find you and try to corrupt you."

"Cap… but I'm a Lieutenant."

She smiled. "I guess good news travels slow, ma'am. Congratulations."

*.*.*

"Ahtnamas," Segraius said softly, looking out at the Earth from a small window in the cargo bay of the Goddess Spear, "are you sure you want to do this?"

"Absolutely," she replied. "Who in their right mind would turn down the chance to fulfill the final prophecy?"

"Three others have already died trying to fulfill it, and Jihanna will either concede, or become the fourth."

"I know you're worried, but I'm ready for this."

"She's right, Seg," Pala'din piped in. "Ahtnamas is the most skilled next to Telleschya, and hands down the most powerful and most experienced."

"Ahtnamas," Segraius said slowly, "I am worried that..."

"That what, Seg?" Ahtnamas retorted angrily.

"I have no wish to live my life on Earth without you. We have known each other since we were kids. You are almost like a sister to me."

Ahtnamas sighed. "Listen, Seg, I know we've been through good and bad, but this is my chance to fulfill our destiny. Listen, why don't we do something stupid, like old times? Instead of yanking me off the squad, I was promoted after sabotaging the drink machine! I can get away with just about anything short of insulting a superior! I'm sure we can strike up some mischief in the simulator room. The techs still haven't gotten all of the hidden kitten programs out of the flight sims!"

Seg only kept staring at the Earth, but managed a smile. "You two go to C-sector. I want to see the look on the Chief's face when we mess with his asteroid navigation program! I will meet you there in an hour."

After his two dearest friends left, Segraius shuddered and the fake but convincing smile died. _Earth, be kind to my Ahtnamas. I wish to share her life, but I would rather share her grave than be alone_.

*.*.*

The phone only rang twice before Jinjiro Mizuno answered. "_Hai, mushi, mushi!_"

Ami smiled upon hearing his voice again. "_Oto-san!_"

"Amiko, is that really you? How are you? Did you get my letter?"

"I got your letter, and things are a little slow here. I was wondering, though, when will we be able to see each other again?"

"You want to come visit?"

"No, I want to transfer to a school in Osaka."

"What?!"

"Oh, if only it were that simple, daddy…"

"Princess, what's wrong?"

Ami didn't call to stir up trouble, but the lull in conflict gave her time to wonder about things. And these wonderings usually asked more questions than they answered. "Why did you two do it?"

"Ami-_chan?_ I don't understand."

"Why couldn't you two work it out? I hate living like this. Why did you and mom have to get a divorce?"

"Oh, Amiko. You're mother and I just, well..."

"Realized it was a mistake to get together?"

"She hated the idea of you becoming an artist."

_Huh?_ "_Nani?_"

"When you were in third year elementary, I wanted to send you to an art school because you had the talent and intelligence, but she wanted you to stay in Juuban's education system. She felt that you would fail… no, I don't mean that. Your mother loves you. She was afraid that you… _might_ fail as an artist. Like I did. Like I still do."

I was a lot for her to take in. After a moment, she spoke again. "Daddy, why did you and mom get married in the first place?"

"You mean she never told you herself? Well, I guess it's time to tell you the truth. Um, here we go…" The line went quiet as her father composed himself for a moment. "Your mother and I were strongly attracted to each other. After awhile, I proposed to her, but she said no, and we broke up. Three weeks later, she called me and said that she was pregnant with you. We got married the next week."

Ami waited, but the pause didn't lead to more info. "That's it?"

"I thought your mother made me happy, but didn't feel the same way. When she told me about you, I was scared, but at the same time, I thought it would guarantee my happiness. But, things were tough with the physical aspect of our relationship held in check. I was about ready to call it quits, but then you were born. I thought I knew what happiness was, but I was wrong. It turns out that I never knew what true happiness was until I held you in my arms for the first time."

"Then why did you leave us? Why did you leave _me?_"

"Even the most brilliant of artists fail if no one wants their work, and I'm not exactly a Picasso myself. You get your brains from Saeko's side of the family. I decided that it would be best for you to pursue an academic career, or even study medicine. But, by then, it was too late to bridge the gap between me and your mom. She had the papers for divorce filed already. It hurt me so much to see you taken away from me, so I ran."

"So, I was the reason you and mom got married?"

"And why we stayed together for ten years. I love you so much, Amiko."

"Then come visit me! Can you come to Tokyo, sometime?"

"How about November?"

"Why so long?"

"I leave on tour with an art exhibit tomorrow, and I won't get back for a while. If things go right, I'll have enough income to live off of for a year."

"What if it doesn't work?"

Jinjiro laughed. "I guess I'll be begging your mother for a place to stay."

"November? Okay, then. And just in case, we still have a room for you with your old clothes."

"She never got rid of them?"

"I'm not trying to be mean when I say this, because it's the truth. She hasn't had the time."

"After eight years?"

"Yeah. We still communicate with the whiteboard from time to time when things pick up at the hospital. It's not as bad since I quit _juku_…"

"You quit cram school?!"

"I should've quit it several years ago! I could've passed the Tokyo University entrance exams when I was in first year of _Junior_ High. Don't worry about it. I don't forget things after I've learned them. So what if I'm not number one in the country anymore? Tokyo University takes more that one student each year!" Ami sighed, calming herself. "I'll be alright when the time comes, okay?"

"Of course, you're right. I love you, my little princess."

"I love you too, daddy."

*.*.*

With the sound of a click, the desperation of Jinjiro's life became all too eminent again. He would lose his apartment if his new line of art didn't sell. If it worked, he would have enough money to live off of for an entire year, or even trade a few months of that and fly with his little girl to Germany, a place she had always wanted to go. Either way, only time would tell…

*.*.*

A year had passed since Professor Souichi Tomoe had remembered his role with the Death Busters. A year had passed since he had learned his daughter had been Sailor Saturn and who the other Outer Senshi were. But not much time had passed since he found out that his little girl would be in harm's way again.

"You're all I have left of your mother," he said to his daughter, breaking the silence as they ate in their small apartment in Juuban. Hotaru was still wearing her beret.

"_Eh?_" Hotaru replied with a mouthful. Her father's sudden utterance was quite unexpected.

"The thought of you in danger fighting these aliens doesn't settle well with me. But, I have no laboratory to use in aiding you. I only hold a job working as a geneticist for a small company from America."

"Daddy, you still can offer your prayers."

"But will the gods respond fast enough?"

"They always have in the past. Usually, it was in the form of Sailor Moon of Sailor Chibi Moon, and even my friend Rin-_chan_."

"Can I ask you something?"

"What?"

"Is Rin Sailor Chibi Moon?"

Hotaru didn't respond.

"I thought so. Little girls like her don't just fall from the sky." He spoke without understanding the fact that Rin _always_ fell from the sky when traveling back to the past.

"Do you know who any of the others are?"

"No clue. But, how did she get so old so fast?"

"She's from the future. Several years passed for her while we only saw a couple."

"Ahhh. How far into the future is she from?"

"A millennium."

"Wow. That's quite awhile."

"Yeah."

"You look just like your grandmother on my side of the family, except you have your mother's eyes."

"I wish I'd had a chance to meet grandmother."

"I know, but she died giving birth to me. My father, being disgusted with me for that, put me in an orphanage. He died when I was twenty-two, and my older sister, who had been living in fear of his anger, sought me out, and I finally learned who I really was. By then, I had a degree in genetics because I had always wanted to know who I was. It's a shame she passed away a month after you were born. She was such a wonderful person."

Hotaru fidgeted in her seat. She was getting a lot of info over a course of microwaved ramen. "So, uh… do you hate your father for what he did to you?"

"How can I? I never knew him."

"So, you forgive him?"

"I was never angry at him in the first place." He stopped to think for a moment. "When the haze of the memory loss and Pharaoh 90's brainwashing finally lifted last year, I almost went mad with anger and sorrow. I knew he had caused the lab accident that killed your mother Keiko and crippled you, but he was already dead when my memories finally returned. Who was left to blame? Who was left to forgive? I thought that it didn't matter, because the battles were over after the golden madwoman was defeated." He looked at his daughter. "But now this is happening…"

"Dad, you know I'll be careful."

"I know. If there's anything my skills can be used for, just let me know."

"Who knows? Perhaps we'll have a need for a geneticist someday..."

"Perhaps…" He rubbed his eyes and ran his hands through his stark white hair. He had been very handsome when he was young. He married young, and he was only twenty-six when Hotaru was born. The accident scarred him physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. His hair fell out and grew back in shock white after the accident. After years of being subjected to partial mind control, had to take medication to keep his short-term memory loss at bay, and he could only work for a few hours at a time before taking a rest due to the meds. He was barely forty, but he looked like he was nearly sixty when he frowned, and after he heard of the invaders, he frowned a lot more often.

Souichi reached across the table and gently took his daughter's hand in his. "Please stay safe. You're all that I care about in this world."

Hotaru merely nodded to him. If he ever found out about the true nature of her powers, and the implications of her destiny, it would probably kill him.

*.*.*

*.*.*

*.*.*

Author's notes…

This is the first half of an old, giant chapter that was once called Reflections. Basically, the Senshi have their own lives, and they live their lives in lieu of their ever present duties as Sailor Senshi. So, hardly any action. And as TNT says when advertising its shows on its network, they know drama!

Oh! The Pink Polka Dots Don't Suit You title was a tribute to Ranma ½ during his first battle at school when he got a glimpse up Akane's dress and made the rude remark about her panties not suiting her, panties that just happened to be polka dotted. The pink part, well, it's Chibi-Usa.

Oh… why is Chibi-Usa grown up?

Because she gets a little bigger in the anime as it progresses. As for the manga (I haven't read it, but I've read _into_ it), she's 937, and she just… never grew up. Things… can turn out differently when instead of a team of writers, you only have one writer with harrowing deadlines always looming. ALWAYS looming! That, and she was writing R on the fly (hence the Anime-only Doom Tree Saga). There wasn't really supposed to be a second, third, fourth, or fifth season...

Also, Takeuchi-_sama_ almost quit while writing Sailor Moon. The only thing that kept her going was her admiration for the fans. She wasn't exactly hurting for money, either. She was already a published Manga artist before Sailor Moon or Codename: Sailor V. But she thought of the people who were hooked on her stories, and she stuck with it for them. For us. Truly admirable of her.

_ Why does the muse always wait until I have a certification examination to strike?!


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven** _Week Writing is Weak Writing_

_Oh, kami-_sama_… Rei Hino, you've done it now…_

Rei looked at the letter from her father, terror slowly creeping into her soul. It was Wednesday, September 23rd. After her mother's death, she always received a letter from her father, not around, but _on_ her birthday. It was always a bouquet of Casablanca lilies, a white dress, and an invitation to the Rain Tree restaurant. Actually, it was about as much of an invitation as a gunman was inviting you to give him your wallet… The mandate would have what time on that year's 17th of April she would meet him. It was the only actual contact she ever had with him. One letter, and one awkward dinner with the same impersonal questions about her life and studies. And thus, Rei Hino found herself to be the only girl she knew as a child who dreaded her birthdays instead of looking forward to them.

_You've really done it this time…_ In her state of self-pity after losing her precious crows, Phobos and Demois, and after the death of her only living cousin, Kengo, she had shut herself away from the world and had stopped caring. Her decent marks at the T.A. Academy for Girls fell to below average. And now, her father was probably transferring her to some private school in Chiyoda to the north to keep a closer eye on her.

She was helpless! He was still her legal guardian, and she was still seventeen. If she refused, anyone who gave her aide would be arrested for sheltering a runaway. She'd have to go into hiding, living on the streets and fading into the shadows. She'd only be able to see her friends as Sailor Mars, and not as Rei Hino. It was checkmate…

After ten minutes of frantically trying to work out some sort of workaround and failing miserably, she gave into the streams of destiny and opened the letter of doom. How bad could it be? Sailor Mars could cover the short distance of five kilometers in ten minutes, the average delay before Tuxedo Mask saved the day. Maybe she could even learn how to shoot miniature roses from a tiny bow…

_ Dearest Rei,_

_ Salutations. To write this letter is both hard and awkward for me as a politician, and as a father, but these words must be said before it's too late._

Rei closed her eyes. Of course he'd make it sound like he was genuinely concerned about her well-being. After all, he had hand written the letter, and it could be used against him if he didn't wait until it was just the two of them to shot venomous words at her.

_ As of Oct. 9th, I will be resigning from my political office, and I will be coming to live at the shrine if your grandfather can somehow forgive me for my past negligence. I should arrive on the 17__th__ once my affairs are in order.  
_  
Neglect. _What an unexpected but true confession_. She then knew that something was terribly wrong and continued reading.

_It is not right that what I am about to tell you was what had to happen before I finally realized how much of a failure I have been as a husband and a father. On August 31st, a small tumor was discovered at the base of my brain stem. It is not removable by any current surgery, nor treatable by radiation because it is too close to my brain. Even chemotherapy will have no effect due to the rate that it is growing. There is no experimental treatment, no miracle cure, and no hope of surviving. In three moths, my body will begin to weaken. I am presumed to join your mother between March and May. I guess that is all I can say. Please, forgive me._

Signed,  
Takashi Hino.

What right did he have?! To shove her aside as excess baggage, only engaging her when appropriate for a few pictures to appease the voters! But, did he really, truly mean he was sorry? Did he truly love her as a daughter, and not merely the conduit of his legacy once he was gone?

He was a politician, and a damned good one. It took Rei several years to realize that he had wanted nothing to do with her, only because she overheard him lamenting how his 'feeble' wife was unable to give him the son he always wanted.

Of course, she had been too young to understand it at the time. Because of her innocence, she never closed her heart off to a young man named Kaidou, a hard working secretary that would take over her father's position when he retired. She had even started to fall for him, thinking that her father would demand that she marry him, securing his place as Takashi's heir. She would have gladly honored such a request, but then one day, Kaidou-_san_ proposed to another woman.

Her father's one, single slip of the tongue when he thought she wasn't in earshot had made her realize how deceptive and how skilled of a liar he had been. After that, she understood why she only saw him once a year and why she always dealt with Kaidou instead of him. By then, Kaidou was seen as a friend, maybe even more, and not just her father's puppet. She spared him from the silent wrath in her heart, but not the bastard who had sired her.

The truth scarred her forever. He never wanted a daughter to have to pay for and support. He wanted a son to carry on his name! She was just a mistake. And when his weak, useless wife failed to give him a son and became too sick to fulfill her wifely duties, he abandoned her to wither away in the hospital. Rei kept saying 'Daddy will come. Daddy's gonna come. Just hang on, mommy. Daddy's gonna make it all better.'

Then one morning, Rei was told her mommy went to live in the clouds. Only at the funeral did 'daddy' finally come. From that day, she lived with her grandfather, a man she had never even met before, or at least, not when she was still old enough to remember.

But that wasn't the point! It wasn't about her and her grandfather. Rather, it was about the man whose only real contribution had been putting her into her mother's belly nine months before her birth. He was useless as a father! He had no right to crawl to the shrine and die in front of her! She had shed enough tears for the wretched cur. Never again.

Never again…

_Why… Why am I crying?_

*.*.*

"_Gomen…_" Usagi started.

"_Oi!_" Naru replied. "C'mon in!"

Usagi smiled as she entered Naru's new room at the hospital and bowed. "How are you feeling today, Naru-_chan?_"

"Great! It's like I've been prescribed bottled happiness! Could you close the door and slide that big, ugly plant in front of it? Don't want any orderlies barging in on us."

Usagi closed the door, silently pushed the nice looking tree in front as asked, and loudly slid the double room's one tiny chair to Naru's bed. The other bed wasn't occupied, so only Naru had to deal with the noise.

"Man, that morphine did a number on me. This stuff, though, I'm here," she pointed to her head, "but I'm just, well, happy!"

"I'm glad to see you're recovering well."

"I'm actually quite miserable, right now. But this stuff does wonders. I hope it doesn't have, like, a withdraw effect."

"So, no pain?"

"Are you kidding me? They hacked open my knee twice! It stings and throbs and aches and any other type of pain you could imagine. And this toradol stuff they have me on for the inflammation makes it a battle just to go to the bathroom. I feel like a camel at the start of a journey across the Sahara. And, I'm bored to tears in here! But, I'm just inexplicably happy about it."

"But your head's all there, now?"

She nodded. "Unlike last time when I thought you were Sailor Venus. Obviously not the case."

Usagi's smile beamed like a spotlight.

"Obviously, you're Sailor Moon. Duh!"

"Um…" The spotlight died down to a flashlight.

"Whatever. I've probably figured it out before and had my memory wiped or something. Anyways, before it happens again, I just wanna say thanks for everything over the years. I'd be monster chow several time over if it wasn't for you. And, they're gonna cut me off of the Percocet tomorrow, so if you could have whoever or whatever wipes my brain of your identity swing by before then, that'd be great. I don't wanna be crying buckets for my last three days here, worrying over your safety. They might send me to a mental institution."

_Might as well play along._ Usagi straightened up and did a two-finger Scout salute. "In the name of the moon!"

"Stay safe. Like I said before. You're the maid of honor. Oh… um… bye…" Naru smiled as her eyes fluttered and rolled back. Seconds later, she was passed out again.

"Um… that's weird… okay."

Usagi meandered out of the room, wondering if she _really_ wanted to get the cats involved…

*.*.*

"_Tadai…_" Minako looked at her parents, who were both eyeballing her. "_…ma?_"

"Oh," her mother said. "Hello, Minako."

"Hey," her dad said, "how's my little star?"

Minako arched an eyebrow. "Suspicious and worried, now?"

"You weren't… really planning on going to school in America, were you?"

Minako's jaw dropped. She was in! _Oh, my god! I'm in!_ "I got accepted at Julliard?! WOOO…" The look on her parent's faces said otherwise. "… hooo… wait. I _didn't_ get accepted?"

"I'm so sorry," her mother said, nervously twirling a finger in her flowing lilac hair. "They, um…"

"Your grades," her father said. "They were blown away by everything else, but your marks in school…"

Her mother looked down. Normally, she'd be berating her for not applying herself in school. But on that one Wednesday in late September, when she had the biggest opportunity ever to say 'I told you so,' she didn't want to. "I really wish it hadn't turned out like this," she finally said.

"Well," Minako said, "it was a long shot, anyways. I turn eighteen next month. Too late to become a teen idol, now."

"It wasn't from lack of trying," her father said, smirking. "Just Aino luck. Doesn't always get you what you want, but it gets you what you need."

"What will you do after graduation?" Her mother asked. "March will be here in the blink of an eye."

Minako didn't have a backup plan. She was gainfully employed enough as Sailor Venus. All she ever wanted to do was be a star. Or maybe a volleyball player. Or marry a rich, handsome man and retire. But how could she really do any of that if she was the Senshi of Venus? "I… don't know…"

Her mom frowned. "Well, right now's not the time to nit pick.

Her father grabbed his briefcase and hugged her on the way out the door. He was heading back to Dubai for a few days and had a plane to catch. If everything went well, he'd be back Saturday morning. After he ducked out of the front door, her mom started to walk out to the kitchen, but turned around at the doorway. "I don't think you should give up on your dreams, just yet."

"What were your dreams," Minako asked.

"I wanted to be an astronaut."

"Didn't have the grades?"

She smiled. "I found out that I was afraid of flying."

Minako arched an eyebrow. "But, we've flown together several times."

She nodded. "You can't always let your fears get the best of you."

As her mother left the room, Minako couldn't help but smile. Although she had been rejected by Julliard, she knew that there were other ways to go about things.

"There's more than one way to skin a cat," she whispered.

"I resent that," Artemis whispered back.

*.*.*

"Who keeps calling," a teenage boy said through the phone after the third ring.

_Finally!_ After four attempts, it wasn't one of her parents who picked up the phone. "Eiji," Haruka said softly.

"Sis?"

Haruka smiled. He called her 'sis.' No homophobic, anti-gay or lesbian slurs. Just 'sis.' "Long time no see, huh?"

"Well, you can't blame mom and dad for disowning you after hearing about, uhh..."

"I'm not calling to talk about that day, or about them, or to them. I'm calling for you." They hadn't simply disowned her when she told them she was gay, they had assaulted two minors. She shrugged off the slaps to the face and endured the punches to the stomach. But when her yokel father threw a half empty Suntori bottle at Michiru and it hit her wrist as she protected her head, Haruka snapped. Michiru had to choke her out to keep her from killing her own father.

Haruka had always been protective of Michiru, but she always remembered how close she had come to killing a family member to do so. She'd kept a cool head until three days of exhausting travel and a _very_ nasty thing to call a female caused her to snap, transforming into Sailor Uranus and sucker punching a wounded Tetsuya Journey. Maybe he deserved it. After all, it was _not_ a word you called a lady, but she couldn't afford to be the one losingcontrol like that.

"So," Eiji said, snapping her out of her mental wandering. "What are you calling about?"

Such a simple question, and yet, such a complicated one, too. She hadn't seen, or heard from, or spoken to her _otouto_ in over three years. "So, uh… how are things?"

"Well, I don't know. It's kinda quite."

"Quite?"

"Yeah. Mom and dad have had no one to yell at about being a tomboy ever since you left, and I sure never gave them any problems. How are things with you?"

"Just fine." She didn't mean to lie to her brother, but she couldn't exactly say over an unsecured phone line that she was Sailor Uranus and that she had been in life and death situations on a regular basis for the last three years and change.

"Are you and Michiru still, you know..."

Haruka chuckled. "Yes, we're still lesbians. It's not just something you grow out of. That word just gets stuck in your throat, doesn't it?"

"I just don't want to offend you, that's all."

"Oh. Well, thanks, I guess."

"Hey, um, I gotta go."

"Yeah. Nice talkin' with ya, bro."

"Sure."

Haruka hung up the phone and sighed. "Michiru," she called, "I just talked to my brother for the first time since… well… that day."

"How did it go?" She asked softly in reply.

"We actually talked! I mean, it was only for a minute, but… wait… how'd it go with yours?"

"'_Moshi, moshi_.' 'Hello?' '_Click_.'"

Haruka strode into the bedroom. Michiru seemed to be imitating Tetsuya's poor posture as she hunched over the bed.

"What was I even thinking? They had an unofficial, non-legally binding funeral for me three months after I told them! Like either one of them would acknowledge my existence. They act so high and mighty, and they're just as pig-headed as your mountain hick folks."

Haruka nodded, taking no offense to the comment directed at her parents. While Haruka had learned to appreciate Michiru's taste in music and fine art, she still preferred Japanese folk, although it didn't really translate well to the piano, having been raised as a farmer's daughter in the mountains. But their different upbringings aside, she and Michiru loved each other, and had turned to each other for support and comfort after losing their family ties as a casualty of social taboo.

"I'm sorry to hear that, babe." Haruka meant it. She never met Michiru's parents, and she never really wanted to. But she still had a glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, after three years, her parents would have changed their minds about their own child. Unfortunately, not all parents had the same values as the Tsukinos or the Ainos.

Michiru flopped onto her back. "I'm glad I'm an only child. I never liked my any of my cousins, and my parents and I didn't exactly have a close relationship. I was just an heiress to them. An asset for their legacy when they were gone. I'm sure my dad's found a suitable young and talented businessman to be his ward by now."

Haruka gently laid down on top of her. "Let's forget about it."

Michiru sighed. "I'm still bleeding."

Haruka rolled off, then grabbed Michiru, pulling her on top. "Then let's just take a nap."

Michiru smiled as she laid her head on Haruka's chest, listening to her heartbeat. The two said nothing as they slipped out of the world of consciousness for a quick reprieve from reality.

*.*.*

Setsuna whispered an ancient incantation to the key in her hand and put it into the lock. She turned it, and the key vanished. The ambiance and loud sounds from outside of the tiny apartment vanished, as well. "Secure," she said. In a puff of green smoke, her long, gorgeous hair became an unkempt crew cut that had only started to grow back out again. She paused for a second before looking over, dreading the sight she would have to gaze upon again.

"C'mon, 'Suna," Rin said, not hiding her annoyance. "It is what it is."

Setsuna turned her head from the door and gazed upon the visage of her dearest friend. Rin's pink hair was only a little longer than hers, and her face was scarred after being terribly burned on the left side, punishment for rejecting her now dead fiancé. "I'm sorry. It's still hard."

"Like I said. It is what it is." Setsuna sat down at the small table across from Rin. "What's up?"

There was no need to sugarcoat it. Although Rin had quickly readopted her sticky-sweet, slightly hyper persona, she was also a veteran warrior and sorceress. She was only still a child due to the fact that she was sixteen. It was merely a numerical circumstance. A quantitative fact, not qualitative at all.

Setsuna nodded. "The moment we came back, the entry point was disrupted."

Rin grimaced. "Do you think they already know?"

Setsuna shrugged. "We don't have enough information about Vega and Polaris in this timeframe. But since the Black Moon Clan was defeated, and the survivors given amnesty back in our time, the only logical conclusion is that our enemy is still awaiting the resurrection of the Sun King in this era."

"Whom you get very tight-lipped when talking about."

"It is from before the founding of Silver Millennium. Some things are better left buried. This is one of them. Don't push me."

Rin shrugged and paraphrased her when she was talking to Tetsuya. "Any detail, not matter how insig…"

"Don't start with me."

"Fine… Let's talk about something else. Do you think Sirius will be here?"

Setsuna said nothing.

"I'm not trying to pry, or poke. He was the reason we won."

Setsuna nodded. "It is… possible. But he won't be the same man who fought by our side in the future. Those memories haven't been written yet."

"Why not write new ones?"

Setsuna was tempted. She had fallen in love with a hero who appeared out of the blue and turned out to be the guardian of the star Sirrius, the only star loyal to King Solaris. Solaris never showed to properly initiate the battle between him and the Northern Star, but that didn't stop Lord Vega from marching his armies through an interstellar portal, and onto Earth in his honor.

Normally, star and planet guardians were female. But it was a very rural area of the galaxy, so a few of the guardians, like Solaris, Vega, Sirius and Polaris, and even Mamoru, were male. But for the most part, it was still a woman's galaxy. But that wasn't really the issue…

It was a quick and violent struggle, and in order to save her friends, family and people, Neo-Queen Serenity surrendered, accepting Vega's terms, which included taking Rin's hand in marriage. Rin refused, and was burned on one side of her face by him. Then, she and Setsuna fled.

That was when they met Sirius. He told them of the ongoing struggle between Polaris and Solaris, a struggle that was forgotten by the time the Silver Millennium was founded. He told them that since people stopped worshipping the stars and the planets, it would probably be the final battle, as they would have no more energy to reincarnate again.

Solaris, of course, never showed, and Polaris died in an accident. Vega, once the Northern Star himself thousands of years earlier before the spin of the Milky Way switched the two stars from Earth's point of reference, took up arms in memory of his fallen master, leading the charge himself.

The war awoke Sirius from his slumber, and he rescued Rin and Setsuna when they were captured during their escape attempt. Together, they raised an army, waged a guerilla war for two years against Vega's forces, and when all seemed lost, they took control of the interstellar gate and attacked the Vegan capital. Rin dealt the killing blow to Lord Vega.

But, it wasn't all cheers and celebrations. Sirius had died in battle, sacrificing his life to save Setsuna from Vega's last surviving Lieutenant, Proxima. Then, after returning home, the two were arrested and charged with murder and treason. After Crystal Tokyo had surrendered to Lord Vega, its military merged with the occupiers, and the people had found that Lord Vega was a rather merciful ruler, as long as they obeyed him. During Rin and Setsuna's uprising, Crystal Tokyo members had died alongside their Vegan partners as a result of guerilla action, and as a result of Vega's ruthless attempt to put down any possible sources of help to the rebellion.

Being blamed for causing so many deaths, Rin was stripped of her royal title, and she and Setsuna were both sentenced to death. Naturally, on the day of their execution, her mother, still deposed from the throne, used the power of the Silver Crystal to help them escape. Their desperate flight into the Gates of Time happened only a mere five days ago as far as their internal clocks knew. And somehow, their link to the future was disrupted on the past's end as soon as they arrived.

Only Setsuna, and the Solar Beings, as they called themselves, had the powers to manipulate the time streams. In the future, all of the Solar Beings were dead. In the past, however, it was conceivable that all of the Solar Beings in their small four hundred light-year rural pocket of the galaxy were still very much alive. Perhaps they knew of Setsuna and Rin's trek into the past, and felt they were somehow connected to the missing Sun King. After all, they had been waiting for a few thousand years by then.

"So," Rin said, evenly. "The Sun King is dead, and that's that. Right?"

"That's all you need to know," Setsuna said sternly. "That's all you will know."

"But, why now? If they've been waiting to pick a fight ever since the days of Silver Millennium, why start messing around with the Gates of Time now? This is my third trip back."

Setsuna nodded. It was something to consider. But who else could manipulate the time streams? "The barrier spell is wearing off. We need to wrap this up."

Rin nodded. "Can we at least communicate, I mean, with the future? Maybe mom regained her throne."

Setsuna shrugged. "We'll wait and see."

Rin nodded again. "Sure! How long?"

Setsuna snapped her fingers. In an instant, the sounds of Tokyo could be heard through the cheap, thin windows, and their hair grew back as Rin's scars were magically hidden once more. "As long as it takes."

Rin rolled her eyes and smiled. "Of course. How did I not see that coming from a light-year away… So, what now?"

Setsuna grabbed Rin's black umbrella. "Luna-P! Laptop!" The umbrella morphed into a black laptop, and opened to a screen titled 'Advanced Stoichiometry.' "You're two years behind. Better get a move on."

Oddly, Rin smiled. Two years ago, she would have lamented the idea of studying the abomination that turned chemical reactions into math, as well. But then again, she wasn't quite the same person then that she was now. "Might as well."

"That's the spirit."

Rin clicked the built-in mouse pad, and the lesson started. She suddenly fluttered her eyes and slumped forward, audibly smacking her forehead onto the table while making an exaggerated snoring noise.

"Knock it off," Setsuna chuckled. "There's a test on Sunday."

"Meh…"

*.*.*

School was school, lunch was lunch, and Slouch was smiling and talking again. The Senshi took turns escorting Usagi to and from school, making a point to never be alone outside of her house. With the help of a pair of cats, Ami and Makoto were at Minako's for the week, sharing the spacious guest room that had the many ribbons, medals and trophies that Minako had won. Saturday classes were awful, as the always were, and the group went out to eat afterwards.

After picking up Rei, Tetsuya was actually jumping up and down in a manner they would have expected from Usagi, and pleading with them when they started walking past the Subway they had all met him at. They decided to appease him and eat there, since it really seemed to mean a lot to him. Minako, having been the first to see him as he truly was, scared, heartbroken, and holding onto whatever tiny rays of hope he could find, was touched, understanding why the sub shop was so important to him.

Rei was a bit agitated with Tetsuya for constantly fussing over her for having to go to and from her school by herself. He was worried that Jihanna might have marked her as prey, since she was able to draw blood at both of their confrontations, but never seal the deal. Although Rei saw his point, she was still Rei. But, some things couldn't be helped.

After the meal, they split up into smaller groups and went about their business. Makoto and Ami went to a cooking contest, Makoto as a contestant, and Ami as a judge. Rei and Tetsuya returned to the Shrine for some additional chores that needed attending to. Usagi went with Minako to her volleyball practice and caught up on her assignments, which included the dreaded and confusing theories of a Dr. Fred, who apparently invented Coca Cola…

Her fruitless review was interrupted when she heard Minako moaning and saw her on the ground, holding her leg in pain. She literally dropped what she was doing and bonded down the bleachers. Someway, somehow, Minako had pulled her right quadricep, and Usagi helped her back to her house.

Ami and Makoto walked Usagi back to her house after she dropped off Minako. Usagi laughed about the time that Minako and Makoto had been shoulder to shoulder with her for an entire week after they found out that Galaxia was after her star seed, and all three of them laughed at the memory. While it was a similar situation, they were following Tetsuya's advice by not smothering her. They said their goodbyes and dropped her off, and Usagi beat herself up a little more academically before giving up and throwing her books into her backpack. She'd have to get help from Ami for the Coke man. She finished her evening playing her old console version of Sailor V. As always, she was terrible at it, and Sailor V died in vain many times.

Makoto hadn't won the cooking contest, simply due to jealousy and interpersonal relationships between other judges and contestants, but she didn't go there to win. She went there to cook and trade recipes, and she won that battle outright. Still warmed up from her earlier endeavors, Makoto was conscripted to help Mrs. Aino with dinner, smiling the whole time at another chance to perfect her passion. Ami helped a hopelessly confused Mr. Aino set up his new entertainment center, a process that ended up totally rearranging the living room for the best sound acoustics. Fortunately, Ami was a lot stronger than she looked, and the moves went without a hitch without even having to pull Makoto from kitchen duty.

Ever since rescuing the daughter of an Emirate Sheik from drowning at Tumon Bay while on vacation on Guam, Mr. Aino's career had skyrocketed. He traveled a lot with his new job, and some times, the trips happened during school vacation, allowing him to take his wife and daughter with him. After a lucky surge on the stock market, Mr. Aino sold his shares, and the Aino's moved into their new, spacious house on top of a hill by the bay. During parts of the year when the sunset was perfectly positioned between the buildings in the skyline, one could see it rise from one side of the house, then set from the other.

For some reason, no one ever thought to tell Usagi about this change in residence…

*.*.*

Minako Aino looked at her clock. It said 'SU-9:53A.' She had all day to herself, as the cats' magic had inexplicably worn off, and Ami and Makoto were bid a fond farewell by the Ainos that morning, still remembering the exquisite dinner the night before and reveling in the pristine sound of their new home theater setup. She winced as she hobbled out of her snug room to the tub. She needed a good, long soak. As much as she loved Hotaru as a little sister, she preferred to heal naturally. It made her feel stronger as she outlasted the injury, proving mightier than the petty limitations of her pretty, but petty mortal coil.

She started to disrobe when she spotted two felines in the water. They spotted her, and she and Artemis both jumped.

"What are you doing?!" Minako shot.

"Just enjoying the finer aspects of human luxary," Luna purred reassuringly.

Minako looked at Luna, then Artemis, then Luan again with a look of confusion and surprise, and then it hit her. "You horny little devils!"

"What?! Artemis and I weren't... you misunderstand! We were..."

Luna's rebuttal was cut off when Minako threw both cats out into the hall. She washed while the befouled water drained, then shivered as she waited and waited and waited for the tub to fill up again. But, such was life…

Just as she was starting to get out after a nice, long soak, her watch beeped an unfamiliar tone…

*.*.*

Ami didn't stay for at the Shrine for long. She blushed as she kissed her fingers and lightly tapped Tetsuya on the lips, saying that it was from Makoto. She bonked him when he asked if Makoto had kissed her on the lips when requesting the message to be delivered. Then, Rei bonked him as well. For some reason, it seemed to be a touchy subject. Before she left, Ami gave Tetsuya a sparkly, aqua blue book that was her journal. She told him the magic phrase necessary to read it, and left before he could tease her about how girly it was, and that he'd never be able to read it in public.

Rei snuck off with Yuuichirou, leaving Tetsuya to enjoy his Sunday in peace. He thought about sneaking off to see Makoto, but felt compelled to learn more about the girls as Senshi. Eventually, he was able to say the whole phrase without laughing, turning the scribbles into words, and even pictures, some drawn by had, some photos, and some computer generated. "I love tuna fish and field mice pudding."

*.*.*

"I'll get to him eventually," Rei said, referring to telling Tetsuya about the situation with her father.

Yuuichirou nodded to her. "It's just so sad."

Rei shrugged. "Power, success, honor, or at least his interpretation of it. That's all that ever really mattered to him. Love wasn't a part of the equation. Just duty, loyalty, respect…"

"So, we're back on the down low again?"

Rei nodded. "We are on the super down low." She looked over at him. The two had a few feet between them as they walked and talked. It was a nice, sunny Sunday, around noon. It would have been a date, but Rei's senses told her that there might be a spy about, as she had suddenly become a slightly more tangible part of her father's life.

"I waited four years to win your heart. I can wait a little longer to make that claim."

"Yeah. It's just so strange. I thought all this time that my grandfather resented you for how you felt about me, but, he was protecting both of us by trying to keep us apart. It's… just… hard knowing… the truth." Rei forced back the tears, looking away from Yuuichirou. She wanted to feel his arms around her. She wanted to cry on his shoulder while he held her tight. And she knew that if he saw her crying, it would break his resolve to keep his distance. She had to be strong for the both of them.

The truth wasn't your typical fairy tale. Takashi Hino was an up and coming politician with a considerable amount of money from his inheritance, and a shameless opportunist. He had one day overheard about a Shinto priest whose wife's illness, and eventual funeral, had nearly bankrupted him. He would lose his shrine, and he and his beautiful daughter would become homeless.

Takashi knew that in his earlier days, the priest had been a rather handsome man. While Takashi wasn't ugly by any stretch of the imagination, his looks were, simply put, plain. But if he were to win the hand of the gorgeous Risa Ibuki, with any luck, his son would practically be a prince! And having the gorgeous daughter of a Shinto priest would also be a huge boon to his already successful political career.

That day, Risa and her father were made an offer that neither one could refuse. Takashi would buy the Hikawa Shrine and let the priest continue his work there. In exchange, Risa would marry him. It wasn't a shameful plan. Takashi was a hard worker and very successful, and when he wanted to be, he could be very charming and friendly. Risa saw him as a hero, not an opportunist. They were married early that summer, and soon after, Risa was expecting.

Nine months later, Risa delivered a healthy child. But, there was a slight problem. The child wasn't a son. She was given a fitting name, but Takashi did not hide his disappointment in his wife. Soon after, she became ill, and was unable to bear any more children. Takashi saw very little of his family afterwards, save a very public trip to Tokyo Disneyland for Rei's third birthday.

The day after, Risa became sick, and was hospitalized again. It was the same illness that had killed her mother, and it would claim her as well. Risa never saw Takashi again. Only her father and Rei ever came. Risa was ready to accept her fate until she heard that Takashi planned to send Rei to a boarding school in England. Although it would be among the finest education a young girl could receive, she wanted Rei to be with her family.

She wrote out a journal, revealing Takashi for the venomous man that he truly was. Such a journal could potentially destroy his career, and when Risa's time came, she gave the journal to her father, asking him to raise Rei. After the funeral, he confronted Takashi with the evidence, and the two entered a stalemate that had remained in place for nearly fifteen years.

Takashi was still the owner of the Hikawa Shrine and Rei's legal guardian. In addition, Rei would attend top notch private schools, eventually starting her long tenure at the T.A. Academy for Girls. She would also only see Takashi on her birthday for a semi-public dinner. Finally, Takashi would have a say in who she married.

In exchange, Rei would be raised at the shrine by her grandfather, and he would raise her the way he saw fit. As long as the agreement was kept, the shrine would remain under the care of the Ibuki family, Rei wouldn't be shuttled off to some boarding school abroad, and Takashi would be able to maintain the façade of the devastated, heartbroken widower.

"It wouldn't have ended on my eighteenth birthday," she sighed. Her father would've used her grandfather and the shrine against her to keep her under his reins. She loved Yuuichirou, but he would hardly be able to support a family in modern day Japan without the support of her grandfather and the shrine.

"It's a lot to take in," Yuuichirou said. "I'm strong physically, but I'm weak when it comes to the vices. I can hide away from them at the srine, but out in the world…"

"It'll be… over… by May. He'll be gone…"

"What if he sells the shrine?"

"All he has left is his legacy. He won't destroy that. We'll appease him and his wishes until he…" Rei nodded. After everything the bastard had done to her and her mother, he was still her father. It was still hard talking about his eventual demise. And the fact that his demise would only simplify things made it that much more complicated.

"What if… what if he… arranges for you to marry someone else before then?"

Rei looked over at the man she had foolishly rejected for four years and smiled. "I'll get a divorce. I'll see you back at the shrine."

He nodded and turned the next corner while she went straight. It was her way of saying that they needed to split up. Rei's thoughts went back to the evening of the dance, and their excursion to the roof. Never in her lifetime did she think she would do something like that. But every step in the process just seemed so natural, and felt so satisfying. It was nice being in love, even if you had to hide it. And being able to _feel_ that love… She blushed at the memory.

The happy feeling was drowned out when another old memory popped up in her head. She took the loss of Mamoru when finding out that he and Usagi were destined a lot harder than she ever let anyone know. She had even considered swearing off love all together. Losing Kaidou-_san_ to that floozy he married didn't help matters, either. Why bother looking for a kindred spirit when her fellow Senshi were her kindred spirits?

But, the soul of fire burns, and it burns with passion. So, enter the washed out, hung over drifter Yuuichirou Kumada, the disillusioned son of two prosperous parents who had helped their only heir a bit too much during his academic career. He actually had a Bachelor's Degree in business, but never could hold a job outside of his father's company. Rather than taking a job for the old man, he tried becoming a musician.

He had some early success as a bass player when it was all about the music, but the underground music scene was littered with drug and alcohol abuse, and he was almost an instant addict. After getting kicked out of his band, then out of his parents' house, he spent the last of his money at a bar and passed out on the steps of the shrine on a fateful autumn evening.

It was the night that Zoisite had tried to take one of the seven Rainbow Crystals from Rei's grandfather. The commotion had woken him up, and he instantly fell in love the moment he turned around and saw Rei for the first time. The rest was history…

Rei longed for those days of innocence and ignorance. They had been difficult, and yet, so simple. Save the victim of the day, kill the monster of the day, sometimes, fight a boss. It wasn't like that anymore. The Klijargans had completely disregarded the formula. Instead of a weekly monster or what not, you just had monsters who looked like people. Instead of always saving the victim, seventeen innocent people were dead, and three more had been badly injured. It wasn't how things were supposed to be, and yet, it was.

_The gods must be stupid…_

Rei's reverie was interrupted when her watched chirped the jingle 'Go Go Power Rangers.' "_Hai_, Tetsuya-_kun?_"

*.*.*

A note on the front page told Tetsuya that Ami was working on a side journal for Minako's time as Sailor V. His eyes widened. How was he just now finding out that Minako was also the legendary Sailor V?! He rolled his eyes, and had a quick laugh at the absurdity of how big things were often missed while little things were scrutinized. And with that, he started reading about a klutzy, under-achieving crybaby in second year junior-high who got a thirty percent on her math test.

He read through Ami's introduction, her one whole mission where it was just her and Usagi, and then Rei's dramatic appearance as the Senshi of Mars. He looked over his shoulder to make sure Rei wasn't reading it as well. As expected, the room was empty. Ami wasn't mean, but she didn't sugarcoat anything, either. Then again, as tactfully harsh as she was with Rei and Usagi, she was even harder on herself. At least she didn't have delusions of grandeur, something that plagued fanfiction writers who had the gall to write themselves in as some godlike super character.

The sins and insults upon canon at the devious hands of those blissfully ignorant authors was hardly the point, and he continued through, and then beyond Jadite's sudden disappearance. He blinked back tears as he read of the sad, heroic end of Nephrite, remembering the orange ribbon that was holding Naru's tourniquet in place after he killed Jorvist. He admired Naru's resiliency, finding love and happiness again after such a loss. He began to wonder if…

_Jihanna…_

It was Sunday! How the hell could he be so stupid?! He had always thought of himself as smart, sharp, observant, and able to think outside the box. And yet, he let slip by the fact that that very Sunday was the last chance Jihanna could attack if she didn't want to concede the holy trial to Telleschya's Emulators.

He tapped in the code for Usagi. "Usagi-_chan!_ Listen to…"

He heard a scream on the other end. His heart was pounding in his chest, but it quickly flooded with relief, and embarrassment, when the voice on the other end spoke.

"_Ecchi!_" Minako screamed.

Tetsuya was looking at what seemed to be a wall, maybe a ceiling. He heard water splashing around. He had tapped in the wrong code, and started a video call with Minako while she was in the bath. "Sorry, didn't see anything, Usagi might be in danger, bye!"

He tapped in Rei's code.

"_Hai_, Tetsuya-_kun?_"

"What's Usagi's code?"

"Three quick."

"That got Minako."

"Her's is three long. Make them quicker."

"Bah!"

He cut Rei off and tried again. He was answered by the sound of Usagi crying.

*.*.*

*.*.*

*.*.*

Author's notes.

First, oops. Ibuki is a surname. Rei's cousin's given name is Kengo. _

Secondly, yes, I called Usagi a 'Scout' when she was visiting Naru. Deal with it. J

And third. I, too, have a fear of flying. I deal with it through a three step process. Step one, I get on the plane. Step two doesn't matter, because, step three, I'm already on the plane. Sucks, but you can't swim across the Pacific…

Takashi Hino… he was never named in the Manga. So, before the days of PGSM when I started this story, I named him Nobuo, after Nobuo Uematsu, the composer of the music for Final Fantasy games when they were still Final Fantasy games. In the original storyline, Mr. Hino has a pathetic, but plausible explanation as to why he did what he did, and he genuinely wants to reconcile with his daughter and father-in-law before the cancer kills him. That was when I was eighteen.

Now at thirty-one, I understand that some people will go to the grave more concerned about what they leave behind, rather than who they leave behind. And it still amazes me how such mighty and successful people can still be so petty. No wonder why Caesar Milan hangs out with dogs instead of people all the time…

A lot of my Takashi side-plot is based on the Manga, as it was pretty much ignored in the anime. On the other hand, Yuuichirou didn't even exist and gramps was hardly ever there in the Manga… Also, when I can get away with it without compromising the original Japanese story line, I'll throw in a few American dub references just for fun, like tuna fish and field mouse pudding, or negaverse.

Speaking of names, Saeko didn't become Mrs. Mizuno's first name until PGSM, either. They still can't give gramps a name, though… meh…

Next Chapter: When the Bow Breaks. It won't be up until late next week. Two more chapters after that and Lines in the Sand will be complete. The Call to Arms story line'll be five parts. I'd like to at least be half way done with part three, Rising Tide, by the time I return from leave and go to Otakon. Woo!

I have a week to play around with the story after Otakon before I gear up for my rematch with the ICND2 certification. So naturally, that'll probably be when my creativity starts to spike…


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve When the Bow Breaks

Mamoru and Usagi held hands as they walked through a small park on the outskirts of Juuban. It was a warm, sunny Sunday afternoon. Over a week had passed ever since Tetsuya warned that Usagi wasn't to be left alone outside of her house. She looked over at the man she was destined to spend a millennium with. As there was no plausible way of knowing when the enemy would strike again, Usagi and Mamoru went to the park near the Hikawa Shrine. They had their watches at the ready, and they were both keeping an eye out for anything unusual. However, Mamoru had seemed quiet and distant. Scanning for bad guys was one thing, but he could at least talk to her!

"Mamo-_chan_," Usagi said softly, "is something wrong?"

"Uh, nothing's wrong," he replied, very unconvincingly.

She frowned. "You're hiding something."

Mamoru stopped walking. "Usako, you know how we're destined to be together and rule a paradise, right?"

Usagi beamed. "Of course!"

"Nearly two years ago, I proposed to you, and you said yes, making me the happiest man alive."

She laughed. "You gave me a ring. It wasn't clearly communicated. Well, at least not to me."

"I guess not."

"We were engaged for months before I was aware of it!"

"Then maybe I should be more specific this time."

Usagi's heart skipped a beat. "Oh?"

"On Monday, May 9th, 1994, we met."

"Are you sure? Are you positive that that's the date? For awhile, you thought you met me on my birthday."

He winked, remembering the whole silly mess. "I tracked down the day you got that 30 on your test with Miss Haruna's help. I didn't understand the significance of that meeting for a long time, but now, it's one of the most important days of my life."

"Awww. And you were such a jerk, too…"

"I'll be apologizing for that for the next one thousand years."

She returned the wink. "You sure will! So, what are you being super clear about?"

"The fifth anniversary is on a Sunday." He looked at her. "How serious are you about going to college?"

She shrugged. "I'm a home economics girl, not a math whiz."

"Your last test would say otherwise."

"I can do the math, I just don't _feel_ it. I'm not going to be some businesswoman or what not. I'm going to be a bride, a queen, and then a mother."

"Then it's settled."

"What's settled?"

Mamoru took her hands into his. "On Sunday, May 9th, we get married."

"M-m-married?" Usagi squealed and jumped. "Oh, my God! It's finally happening!"

And then, people began to scream.

*.*.*

"Priestess," the young med tech said, getting Dortheena's attention. "There is a strange anomaly in her blood levels. You are more familiar with Cardheyan physiology than I am."

Dortheena strode over to the stream of data. "What am I looking at?"

"These three hormones are noticeably out of balance."

Dortheena looked at the levels. "Oh… Goddess… no…"

"Priestess?"

Dortheena shed her long green Acolyte's robe that would only get in the way and ran like there was no tomorrow. For if she failed, for another, there would never even be a first today.

*.*.*

There was once a time when she had the luxury of having someone to love. A time of joy in adversity, happiness amidst difficult times. It was true bliss. But no more, and never again. Her beloved fiancé Heggith Cloik was dead, and now, Jihanna battled with the emotions boiling inside of her. Unaware of her presence, the whore and her mate had just confirmed the date of their wedding.

Jihanna remembered the day that Heggith had asked her to share a drink with her. Then the day he asked her to go out with him. Finally, she remembered the day he declared that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. The smile on his face, the look of compassion in his eyes, she remembered it all. She wished that she truly remembered it like it was yesterday, but most memories faded over time. Only the terrible ones that left scars stayed crystal clear forever.

Deprived of her other half, the shock had nearly pushed her over the edge. All she would've had to do was step over the edge of the bridge spanning the jump drive. Or step out of an airlock. Or take a weapon from the armory and shoot herself in the temple. But she would not dishonor his memory like that. She was a Klijargan warrior, and she had a mission to accomplish. If she was lucky, she would be mortally wounded after delivering the killing blow…

She swallowed the rising bile in her stomach and cursed her illness that was ill timed. She wouldn't have time to take another dose of the nausea meds and wait for them to kick in. Time was up. It was either attack, or concede. And she'd be damned if both of them were still drawing breath in a few short moments.

"You won't get away this time…" She remembered when she and Heggith had the one and only Sailor Moon alone and un-transformed, completely vulnerable. But they didn't know at the time. They had no idea that the girl who was falsely mourning the senseless murder of Omi Midori was the one who would single-handedly engineer Heggith's murder. Jorvist had indeed gotten the last laugh! She _knew_ he had conspired openly with the _Val'Kurei's_ as he was dying, had purposely hidden the secret identity of Usagi Tsukino. And he wasn't the only one, either.

"Pethospoe… How could you?" How could her dearest friend have been a part of it? The whole set up was a trap. A 'weakened' Sailor Mars, all alone with the traitor, had successfully baited Jihanna and Heggith, and they walked right into a trap. A trap that her beloved Heggith hadn't survived, and Jihanna was likely walking right into another trap that she would probably also fall to. But she would fall _after_ striking a killing blow on the little witch who had slithered from her grasp. Rabbit of the moon? Her name should have been serpent in the excrement! Everything made sense in her addled and over-burdened mind. But enough self-pity. They were both about to die.

Jihanna smiled an emotionless smile as she pulled out a metallic tube and pointed it to the sky. "_Daylos terre dasht_," she whispered to herself. It's now or never.

*.*.*

Usagi and Mamoru dove for cover as several explosions rocked the park. They were all airbursts. Thankfully, the intention wasn't to harm anyone, but rather to simply let the general public know that this was not the best place to be at the moment. Knowing the legends of the strange happenings in Azuba-Juuban, the residents fled away from the terrifying noises and fires in the sky without complaint.

The two were hiding in the bushes when a familiar face crept up to them. She smiled wickedly. "It's safe to transform," Jihanna said. "No one will see you. Not that it'll matter in a few moments…"

"How do you know our identities," Mamoru demanded.

"It wasn't easy," she said. "You have powerful wards protecting you. Even now, your names slip away from my memory. Your faces become unfamiliar. We are literally carving your identities into stone tablets as we learn them! Even the traitor's new name has been lost to us. But you…" Her gaze bored into Usagi. "You couldn't hide forever, you witch. You act all chivalrous, claiming yourself to be some demi-goddess heroine. But you are a _Val'kurei!_" Jihanna drew two silvery swords, similar to the ones she had abandoned the day Heggith had died.

"Moon Prism…" Usagi hesitated and looked over at Mamoru, giving him a wink as she felt a familiar warmth in her chest. "Moon Crystal Power, Make-UP!" In a swirl of lights, she changed into a more powerful Sailor Moon, and Mamoru followed suit, becoming Tuxedo Mask. The destined couple leapt out of the bushes and faced their opponent. "Before we fight," Usagi said softly. "I just wanted to know. Did he make it?"

Jihanna glowered. "What do you think?" She eyed Mamoru. "I will try to spare you so that you can feel what I feel."

Mamoru stepped in front of Usagi, breaking his long cane in half. The two halves grew slightly to the length of Jihanna's blades. "You will not take me alive. I will not live to see her fall."

Usagi moved back and to the side. She knew that Mamoru was probably no match for Jihanna in a one on one battle. Neither of them were. "My love," she whispered. "You have to trust me. If we don't work together, we will die together." She walked back up to his side, a few paces away. "It seems fate changed its mind about me. I'm a toe to toe kinda gal, now." She looked at the man she had crawled through a twisting road spanning a bottomless chasm of certain death, covered in briar thorns, just to try and save him.

_You're not taking him away from me…_ The fire she first felt at Tokyo Tower rose in her once again. _I will make you yield, Jihanna Melvi!_

_You can't save everybody!_ Tetsuya's angry, but undeniably true words rang through her mind. It didn't mean she couldn't try…

"Moon Tiara Dagger Action!" Usagi grabbed her tiara and it glowed a bright golden hue in response. "Forward," she whispered. Usagi had no real understanding of tactics or battlefield psychology. Then again, she had no training in hand-to-hand combat outside of a few karate lessons with Ami. She knew it was something from Silver Millennium, just like the day she suddenly could skate perfectly while battling a pair of Youma, a skill that had never returned in spite of several painful efforts afterwards. And on that Sunday in the park, without truly knowin, she felt that it'd be better to initiate the fight rather than wait for the enemy to make her move.

Usagi and Mamoru slowly advanced. There was no circling motion, no zigzag or weaving. It was straightforward and to the point. Usagi didn't have time for this. She had a wedding in ten months and she needed to start planning! But first, she had to send back the first Klijargan to fail the trial and survive.

Melvi quickly closed the distance, going in straight for Mamoru with a blinding crisscross attack, one sword high cutting downwards, the other low and cutting up. Mamoru parried both blades in a circular motion, leaping inside the reach of her swords and slapping his sticks across the sides of her head. He leapt and kicked off of Jihanna's chest, sending the dazed warrior to the ground while he somersaulted backwards.

Usagi threw her tiara, and once again it changed from a glowing dagger to a glowing discus upon leaving her hand. It impacted with Jihanna's left wrist, shattering it. She screamed as she rolled back and leapt to her feet. Naturally, she had dropped that sword. A rose embedded itself in Jihana's working arm as Usagi reached up to catch her returning tiara.

Jihanna aimed her broken hand at Usagi, and a bolt of energy shot out, striking her in the face. She fell to the ground, her tiara flying away from her as she fell back, and everything became blurred as her ears rang from the concussion of the impact. _Please don't kill her if you don't have to, Mamo-_chan_…_

*.*.*

Several gasps echoed across the bridge of the Goddess Spear, but no one spoke, too shocked to see a woman in such a state of undress. Her knees, shoulders and midriff were all visible, and the clothing she had on did not leave too much to the imagination as to her outline!

"Stop the trial," Dortheena yelled. "Recall Lieutenant Melvi at once!"

"What is the meaning…" Emperor Klavish nel Cagerino started.

"The robe would've slowed me down," she said as she ran towards the man she would be forced to marry against either's will. "Segraius, the levels in her blood! She can't participate!"

Segraius's eyes widened in terror, and without another word, he ran past Dortheena towards the nearest transport room.

*.*.*

"AARRRGGHH!" Mamoru slammed into Jihanna, fury flowing through him after seeing his own personal guiding light of hope so cruelly incapacitated. Throwing aside all aspects of the gentleman and dropping his cane pieces, he grabbed Jihanna by the face and slammed her head into the pavement as the two fell. He raised his free hand to strike the heartless wench who had tried to destroy the shine of the moon, but felt what seemed like a fiery hammer crash into his chest.

His vision went dark from the bright flash of the point blank energy attack, and he slammed hard onto the concrete path. His vision quickly returned, and he saw his opponent. She was stumbling towards him. Before he could react, she fell on top, thrusting the blade of her sword towards his throat. He could see that her eyes were out of focus, noticeably going in slightly different directions from the trauma to her head. She was also drooling, either stomach bile or from a partial seizure. And in spite of everything that had happened to her, in spite of her sickly look, in spite of the fact that she was pushing with only one arm against his two, the razor sharp edge of her sword was inching closer and closer to his throat.

Jihanna made a gurgling, guttural whimper as she willed herself past the pain and held Mamoru's head to the ground with her maimed hand, exposing his neck. Mamoru grunted and yelled, but he wasn't strong enough to push back. The blade got closer and closer, and then he felt the cold metal touch his skin. Then, he felt the spray of warm liquid on his face. And yet, there was no pain. Was he so lost to the heat of battle that he didn't feel pain anymore? Would his only pain be a hellish emotional anguish, knowing that his beloved Usako was about to suffer the same fate?

Then, more gurgling noises came…

*.*.*

Usagi shook away the haze and saw Jihanna on top of Mamoru, inching her blade towards his exposed neck. She only had seconds, and she saw the discarded silver sword. She rushed over, grabbed the blade… and then she knew agony in her heart not felt since the loss of Omi. Once again, it was too little, too late…

*.*.*

Then, the blade lifted away from Mamoru's throat, and he opened his eyes. He wasn't the one making the gurgling sound. A silver blade with a coating of crimson protruded through Jihanna's chest. She remained kneeling upright over Mamoru, although she was twitching and convulsing, staring at the killing blade in furious disbelief.

"I'm so sorry," Usagi whimpered as she pulled the blade out of the doomed woman. Jihanna fell to the ground and made a crawling motion, but she was too weak to pull herself any further.

"Heg…gith…" And then, she looked back towards Mamoru. "_Ve…ve?_" She smiled as she reached towards him. Mamoru kneeled by her side and took her uninjured hand in his. "_Veve…_" Jihanna closed her eyes, and her weak grasp went limp in Mamoru's hands.

Jihanna was with her Heggith once again.

*.*.*

_You can't save everyone!_

Usagi dropped to her knees, trembling. "What have I done?" Couldn't she do _anything_ right after four years of this gig?! Just like Jorvist. Just like Tin Nyanko, Diamond, Sapphire and Nephrite. She had an opportunity to save all of them, and once again, she failed!

Mamoru rushed to her side and embraced his future wife. "You've saved my life, and the life of our daughter."

"But… what about her?"

"She made her choice."

"No… It's no excuse…"

Usagi's right glove was covered in the blood of the young woman she had no choice but to kill. Her cries nearly drowned out an unfamiliar ringing tone from her watch. Usagi ignored it, and Mamoru gently slipped the watch off of her hand while still holding her. He knew who the tone belonged to, obviously. Just one more thing Usagi couldn't get right…

*.*.*

"Journeyman," Mamoru whispered. There was no image. The watch had been damaged during the scuffle.

"Is Sailor Moon alright," Tetsuya replied after a moment.

"Yes. We're both fine."

"Then… Jihanna…"

"We tried, but we had no choice."

"I… understand. You did what you had to do."

Tetsuya cut off the call on his end.

Within minutes, four other Senshi were on the scene, and they teleported their shaken leader away from the growing crowd. The crowd quickly fled in terror as a silver flash revealed a young man with ebony skin and a similar uniform to the dead woman's, only it was purple. He stared in horror and wept through clenched teeth as he gently carried the fallen warrior away. Usagi wasn't the only person who was responsible for the tragic loss that day. They all had done too little, too late. In another flash of silver, the two aliens were gone…

*.*.*

*.*.*

*.*.*

Author's Notes:

I am setting up a Live Journal account with links and what-nots to my rants and raves. Otakon's fan fiction writing panel really opened my eyes to a few things. Unless there's something I REALLY need to say, like my notes at the beginning of The Onion Was Right All Along, I'm going to put my thoughts on LJ. Hopefully the next two chapters, Thieveses and Turn the Grass More Green, will be up by the end of the weekend. I'll be estatic if I get just one of 'em up by then, though...


End file.
